Board holds first reading of Ohio House Bill 10 procurement language and reviews required AI policy on second reading

On the agenda the superintendent presented language for the district to align with Ohio House Bill 10, which he described as requiring Ohio school districts to adopt policies preventing purchase of cultivated-protein food products and banning misbranded meat or egg products unless clearly labeled. "It is a law that requires Ohio school districts to adopt policies that prevent the purchase of cultivated protein food products," he said, adding that products using terms like "burger" or "egg" must carry a conspicuous qualifier such as "plant based" or "imitation" if they are not derived from traditional animal agriculture.

The superintendent framed the policy as both a transparency measure for parents and a protection for local livestock and poultry markets, noting that state stakeholders such as the Ohio Farm Bureau and some state representatives support the approach to ensure clear labeling. He said this was the first reading and that the district will present the language again in April for adoption.

Separately, the board conducted a second reading of a package of policies discussed at the work session, including an AI policy the district is required to have by law. The superintendent thanked the director and systems team for their work on the AI policy and noted that if the board votes to approve the second readings that evening, the policies would be adopted at the meeting's close.

The transcript records the readings and discussion but does not include final vote tallies or adopted ordinance text in the excerpt. The items will appear again for board action in a subsequent meeting where formal adoption would be recorded.