Parents' Bill of Rights

As we begin the 2025–2026 school year, we want to make you aware of a new state law that affects how schools communicate with parents and guardians. In April 2025, Ohio House Bill 8, also known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights, went into effect. In July 2025, the Whitehall City Schools Board of Education adopted Board Policy IGBLA to comply with this law.

This law affirms your fundamental right to make decisions about your child’s upbringing, education, and care, and it establishes specific requirements for parental notification, access to information, and consent for certain services.

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Key Areas of the Parents’ Bill of Rights

1. Sexuality Content in Instruction

• By law, there is no classroom instruction that includes sexuality content in grades K–3.
• For grades 4–12, any sexuality content must be age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate.
• Parents/guardians will receive advance notice and may review materials before instruction is given.
• Parents/guardians may opt their child out of instruction that includes sexuality content.
• “Sexuality content” is defined as any oral or written instruction, presentation, image, or description of sexual concepts or gender ideology, except for instruction required by state law (such as STI prevention, child sexual abuse prevention, or sexual violence prevention) or incidental references.

2. Notification of Substantial Changes in Student Health or Well-Being
We must promptly notify parents/guardians if there is a substantial change in:

• The student’s services (including counseling)
• Monitoring related to their mental, emotional, or physical health
• The school’s ability to provide a safe and supportive environment

This includes situations such as:

• Significant changes in academic performance
• Serious illness, injury, or psychological trauma
• Harassment, intimidation, or bullying
• A request by a student to identify as a gender different from their biological sex
• Suicidal thoughts, persistent depression, severe anxiety, or other mental health concerns

Staff are prohibited from encouraging a student to withhold such information from parents or from discouraging parental involvement in related decisions.

3. Parental Consent for Health Services

• Each year, parents/guardians will receive an Annual Notice listing the physical, mental, and behavioral health services available in our schools.
• Parents/guardians can consent to or decline any of these services.
• Consent does not waive your right to access your child’s educational or health records or to be notified about a change in your child’s services or monitoring.
• Consent is not required for emergencies, first aid, other unanticipated minor health services, or services provided under a student’s IEP or 504 Plan.

4. Parent Concern Procedure

• Parents/guardians may file a written concern with their building principal or assistant principal about any matter addressed in this policy.
• The principal/assistant principal must respond within 30 days.
• Parents may appeal to the Superintendent and then to the Board of Education.

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Our Commitment

While HB 8 changes some of the ways we communicate, our commitment remains the same:

• To partner with families in the education and care of our students
• To comply with the law while providing a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for every child
• To communicate openly and promptly about matters affecting your child

If you have questions about the Parents’ Bill of Rights, Board Policy IGBLA, or how these changes may affect your child, please contact your building principal.