Taking effect on March 10, 2025, each school district board of education must adopt a policy that will allow K-12 students to be absent from school for up to three days each academic year for “religious expression days.” The policy would ensure that those absences would be considered excused and cause no academic penalty for the student. The policy will also allow for the student to participate in interscholastic athletics or other extracurricular activities on days the student is otherwise absent for a “religious expression day.”
The school district must make alternative accommodations for missed exams or any other required work so long as the parent or guardian notifies the school principal in writing within 14 school days of the first day of school or within 14 days or enrolling at a new school. While the principal may not approve more than three written requests per year, they must approve the three requests “without inquiry into the sincerity of a student’s religious or spiritual belief system.” What the school principal is allowed to do before approving a student’s “religious expression day” is confirm with the parent or guardian making the request. A principal may deny a request, but only if there have been more than three requests in an academic year or the parent or guardian denies making the request.
By March 10, 2025, each district must comply and have adopted a new policy that is posted on the district’s website with a point of contact for questions about the policy, and include procedures for a student or guardian to notify the school of any grievances. Additionally, a nonexhaustive list of major religious holidays, festivals, and religious observations must be included on the website. Such policy is also to be shared with parents annually. Lastly, “religious expression days” may not be considered in calculations of absentee hours.
https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-3320.04/3-10-2025
Written by paralegal Jennifer McGarry at Abdnour Weiker, LLP