DeWine signs school safety bill

SANDUSKY — Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill by Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, aimed at enhancing school safety. House Bill 206 states when a student has been expelled for up to 180 days, or about six months, for actions that pose "imminent and severe endangerment" to other students and school employees, school districts can set conditions for a student's return. "Parents are entrusting schools to protect their children while they are away from the home," Click said. "This legislation will help keep students safe by empowering school administrators to address situations where a student poses an imminent and severe threat to the safety of students while also developing clear guardrails and conditions for the reinstatement of an expelled student," Click said. "These situations can be complex, so this legislation allows school administrators to use their discretion to address the need that works best for their community," he added. The possible conditions for readmitting a student can include requiring a student to get counseling and mental health treatment, at the school district's expense. A school superintendent could bar a student from returning for another 90 days, or three months, if conditions are not met. And a superintendent would be allowed to bar the student from coming back if the conditions are not met. In a recent interview with the Register, Click said he offered the bill at the request of school officials in his district, which includes Sandusky and Seneca counties. He referenced a Dec. 6, 2022 incident at Old Fort High School when a 14-year-old student was arrested for bringing a handgun to school, according to a press release issued at the time by the Seneca County Sheriff's Office. The student was charged with improper conveyance of a firearm onto school property and inducing panic. Current law doesn't allow school districts to set any requirements before letting a student back into school, Click explained. The new law provides the following examples of when a school district can set conditions for the return of an expelled student: • The student brought a gun or a dangerous knife to a school or a school event • The student committed a crime that injured someone or damaged property • The student made apparently serious threats DeWine signed the measure last week, and it goes into effect in early April. The school safety bill is not the only Click measure DeWine signed this month. Earlier this month, the governor signed House Bill 8, the Parents Bill of Rights bill by state Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, requiring schools to tell parents about any physical, emotional or mental changes in the child that has come to the school's attention, including apparent efforts to transition into another gender. The bill was amended at the end of the session to also include Click's provision requiring all school districts to adopt policies allowing parents to release their kids during school hours for the classes. The provision will affect school districts that don't currently allow release of students for LifeWise Bible classes.