On July 1, 2021 Governor DeWine signed House Bill 110, Ohio’s 2022-23 biennial budget, which contains a number of important changes to laws and programs that impact Ohio schools and districts. One of its more time-sensitive provisions includes modified requirements for local, city, exempted village or joint vocational school districts that intend to operate an online learning school for the 2021-2022 school year and beyond.

Section 3302.42 allows Ohio’s Superintendent of Public Instruction to approve a local, city, exempted village or joint vocational school district’s request to use an online learning model through the creation of an online learning school. An online learning school reflects a different model than the Remote Learning Plan that was authorized during the 2020-2021 school year. Also, the requirements for an online school include additional items, such as providing students with a free computer and internet access and using a learning management system to track student participation in online learning activities. Schools also need to track student off-line learning opportunities and have those opportunities checked and approved by teachers.

Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, districts that desire to do so can operate an online learning school as a separate school with its own Internal Retrieval Number (IRN). All students engaged in online learning must be enrolled in that school.

The decision to operate an online learning school is not a casual one. Creating such a school should be approached with a sense of permanency and longevity. An online learning school is not intended to be a transition strategy for a short period as the state continues to address COVID-19-related concerns.

The superintendent of a school district that already operates or is planning to operate an online learning school should notify the Ohio Department of Education of that fact by Aug. 1, 2021, and request that the school be classified as an online learning school. Superintendents should complete a School District Online Learning School Notification form and email it to: [email protected].

Administrators are encouraged to read the text of Section 3302.42. It requires the State Board to revise operating standards for online learning schools, including revising student-to-teacher ratios; considering ways for all students, at any grade level, to earn credits upon demonstrating mastery of knowledge or skills through competency-based learning models; and requiring online learning schools to have an annual instructional calendar of not less than 910 hours.

Following are frequently asked questions regarding this requirement. Please email any specific questions about the requirements set forth in Section 3302.42 to [email protected]



Initial Considerations

NEW! – Temporary Online Learning or Closures Due to COVID-19 Outbreaks

Additional Considerations


Initial Considerations

NEW! – Temporary Online Learning or Closures Due to COVID-19 Outbreaks

Additional Considerations

Last Modified: 8/20/2021 5:06:45 PM

Return to Back to School: Resources for Return