On June 24, 2022, Governor DeWine signed House Bill (“HB”) 583 into law. The bill extends a provision of Senate Bill 1 that took effect last October to continue to provide flexibility for school districts to employ substitute teachers with relaxed educational qualifications through the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years. Like previous flexibility, HB 583 allows a public school district, JVS, ESC, STEM school and community or chartered nonpublic school to employ an individual as a substitute teacher according to the district’s or school’s own education requirements, as long as the individual also is deemed to be of good moral character and successfully completes a criminal records check.

The State Board will issue a nonrenewable temporary substitute teaching license to an individual who meets those requirements, even if the individual does not hold a post-secondary degree. To continue to take advantage of this flexibility, boards must again take action to establish their own education requirements for the hiring of substitute teachers. It is advised to review current policy, potential job postings and/or job descriptions, as well as any other local requirements that may conflict with the relaxed qualifications for substitute teachers for the upcoming school years.

Notably, unlike previous legislation, HB 583 does not contain an emergency provision, so the effective date is not until after the 2022-2023 school year begins – i.e., effective September 22, 2022. It is important to be mindful of the effective date for the 2022-2023 school year if employing substitutes under the relaxed requirements.