To amend sections 149.381, 149.43, and 3319.321 of the Revised Code to permit schools to withhold directory information and to remove directory information from the public record definition.
Summary
HB127 amends Ohio’s public records and school records laws to allow public schools to withhold student directory information and to exclude that directory information from the definition of a “public record.” The bill changes sections 149.381, 149.43, and 3319.321 of the Revised Code. In practical terms, it gives school districts discretion to decline release of directory information such as a student’s name, address, phone number, date and place of birth, activities, sports participation, attendance dates, graduation date, and awards, even where such information might otherwise be available under public records law.
The bill also revises the public records statute to expressly list “directory information held by a public school” as exempt from disclosure. It preserves existing protections for personally identifiable student information and continues to allow certain disclosures already authorized by law, including limited military recruiter access to names and addresses of students in grades 10 through 12 unless opted out. The measure does not broadly rewrite Ohio’s public records framework, but it creates a specific carveout for school-held directory information and aligns the school records statute with that exemption.
Impact
HB127 would narrow public access to certain student-related records by making school directory information confidential for public records purposes and by authorizing schools to withhold that information. It would amend Ohio’s public records law, school records law, and records-retention provisions so that directory information held by public schools is no longer treated as a public record subject to disclosure. Schools would gain greater control over what student information may be released, while parents and eligible students would retain existing consent and opt-out protections under the school records framework.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been received positively in the House, at least procedurally, with unanimous favorable passage in committee and unanimous passage on the House floor. That voting record suggests broad support and little visible opposition at this stage. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate deeper concerns or endorsements beyond the votes themselves.
Contention
The main policy tension in HB127 is between student privacy and public access to school records. Supporters likely view the bill as a privacy measure that better protects students and families from unwanted disclosure of contact and identifying information. Potential critics may be concerned that the bill reduces transparency, limits access for journalists or the public, and could complicate existing practices for sharing directory information with outside entities such as employers, higher education institutions, or military recruiters. The bill preserves some existing disclosure pathways, but the new school discretion to withhold directory information is the central point where privacy advocates and open-records proponents could diverge.