Warren-Clinton News

The Ohio House of Representatives has passed House Bill 127, aimed at enhancing the privacy of students in the state. State Representatives Adam Mathews and Mike Odioso announced the passage of this legislation, which addresses how student directory information is handled under public records law.

Currently, Ohio law categorizes student directory information as a public record. This includes details such as names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, extracurricular activities, and more. As a result, it can be accessed by any member of the public for various reasons. House Bill 127 seeks to change this by making such information no longer automatically subject to public records law and allowing school boards the discretion to withhold it.

Mathews highlighted that while there is an option for parents and students to opt out of releasing directory information, school boards face challenges due to unclear guidelines on broader data protection. "House Bill 127 clears up that confusion by explicitly allowing school boards to withhold this information if they choose," he stated.

Despite these changes, the bill permits sharing information with colleges, employers, and businesses when beneficial for students. It also retains the federal requirement for schools to provide military recruiters with names and addresses unless opted out by a student or parent.

Odioso emphasized the role of school board members in understanding their communities' needs: “House Bill 127 simply empowers them to make decisions that reflect those priorities while safeguarding student privacy.”