Board resolution required for middle school career tech waiver

Boards of education are reminded that under the provisions of a bill enacted late last year (Am. Sub. House Bill 487, effective 9-17-14), career-technical education must be expanded to grades 7 and 8 beginning with the 2015-16 school year, unless a waiver is obtained from the Ohio Department of Education. In order to obtain a waiver, the board of education must adopt a formal resolution declaring "the district's intent not to provide career-technical education to students enrolled in grades seven and eight" for a specified school year. This resolution must be submitted to the Department by September 30th of that school year. (See current version ORC 3313.90[B].)

Due to the peculiar wording of this amendment, ODE has found it necessary to provide a clarification on its website to the effect that the adoption and submission of a board resolution is required even if the district intends not to provide career-technical education in just one of the two grades.

It should be noted also that under HB 487, the minimum enrollment required for a school district wishing to provide a 'comprehensive' (self-contained) career-technical program has been increased from 1500 students (in grades 9-12) to 2,250 students (in grades 7-12).