Senate Bill 229: Remote and blended learning for 2021-2022

On December 8, 2021, the Ohio legislature passed Senate Bill 229¹, which includes changes to remote and blended learning. The changes enacted for remote learning will require quick action by interested school districts.

The bill provides districts the option to continue providing instruction using the remote learning plan that many districts instituted during the 2020-2021 school year. Districts interested in this option are required to revise and update the remote learning plan with specific requirements as outlined in the bill. The updated plan must be publically available on the district’s website and districts can only provide remote instruction to families who submit a written request to the relevant building principal. Additionally, interested districts must take two actions before December 15, 2021:

1. The board must pass a resolution authorizing continued use of the remote learning plan
2. The district must notify the Ohio Department of Education of that resolution and decision.

If an interested district does not already have a regular meeting scheduled, it may want to consider calling a special board meeting to pass the required remote learning plan resolution before the December 15 deadline.

Finally, the bill extends the deadline for districts to submit blended learning declarations to the Ohio Department of Education. Districts now have until April 30, 2022, to implement or discontinue use of a blended learning model during the 2021-2022 school year.