House Bill 123
The SAVE Students Act, Ohio House Bill 123, is part of Ohio's strategic plan for education and emotional and physical safety to create safe and supportive environments. You can learn more about House Bill 123 by visiting the ODE website here.
"Ohio law provides for changes to the prescribed curriculum specific to health education beginning July 1, 2023. Starting in the 2023-2024 school year, in every grade level from grades 6 through 12 and continuing each subsequent year, schools must include at least one hour (or one standard class period) per school year of evidence-based instruction in each of the following topics:
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Suicide awareness and prevention;
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Safety training and violence prevention; and
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Social inclusion."
The SAVE Act also requires school districts to address and implement threat assessment teams and plans, including protocols for doing threat assessments, and completing protocols .
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Physical safety requirements provided by the SAVE Students Act include creating and implementing threat assessment teams and plans, including threat assessment plans and protocols into emergency management plans and using anonymous tip line reporting.
The North Ridgeville City Schools have successfully trained all required staff to complete Threat Assessments and to collaborate as teams when encountering challenging situations of threat involving our students. The district has also developed and implemented a school-wide process for identifying and supporting students experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts or behaviors. North Ridgeville City Schools will continue to utilize the STOP IT App as our anonymous reporting system.
During the school year, students in grades 6-12 will participate in 1 class period on the following topics: Suicide Prevention, Violence Prevention, and Social Inclusion. For the instruction required under this section, the local board must use a training program approved by the Ohio Department of Education. North Ridgeville will use the following approved programs; Signs of Suicide (SOS), Life Act, Erika’s Lighthouse and Sandy Hook Promise, Say Something, and Start with Hello.
Parents and guardians can opt out of their students participating in these Ohio Mandated prevention programs. More details and information regarding opting out will be shared via email from building principals.