House Passes Bill to Empower Schools to Protect Student Privacy

COLUMBUS, OH— The Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday passed House Bill 127, legislation to protect the privacy of Ohio’s students, announced State Representatives Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Mike Odioso (R-Green Twp.). 

The legislation makes student directory information no longer automatically subject to public records law and clarifies that school boards may choose not to release it. If a board does choose to release information, any limitations must be applied uniformly to all requesters, in line with existing law. Under current Ohio law (ORC 3319.321), student directory information—which includes names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, extracurricular activities, dates of attendance, graduation dates, and more—is considered a public record. This means it can be accessed by any member of the public, even for non-academic or anonymous reasons. 

“While parents and students currently have the ability to opt out of directory information release, school boards face unnecessary ambiguity about their ability to protect student data more broadly,” said Mathews. “House Bill 127 clears up that confusion by explicitly allowing school boards to withhold this information if they choose.”

Under House Bill 127, information can still be shared with colleges, employers, and businesses when in the best interests of the students. The bill also maintains the existing federal requirement that schools provide names and addresses to military recruiters unless a student or parent opts out.

“School board members are uniquely positioned to understand the needs and best interests of their students and communities,” said Odioso. “House Bill 127 simply empowers them to make decisions that reflect those priorities while safeguarding student privacy.”