S.B. No. 115 Summary

• Ratifies the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, which removes barriers to educational success for children of active duty military members through provisions for enrollment, course placement, graduation, and extracurricular participation.

• Establishes the State Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children within the governor's office of veterans' affairs, consisting of the superintendent of public instruction, school district superintendents, military installation representatives, legislative and executive branch representatives, the compact commissioner, and military family education liaison.

• Appoints a compact commissioner (state officer) responsible for administering Ohio's participation in the interstate compact and a military family education liaison to assist military families with implementation.

• Requires member states to honor unofficial education records for enrollment, process official records within ten days, allow 30 days for immunizations, waive entrance age requirements, honor course placements and special education services, grant excused absences for deployment-related activities, and facilitate on-time graduation through course waivers and alternative testing.

• Creates the Interstate Commission on Educational Opportunity for Military Children with voting representatives (compact commissioners) from each member state, authority to promulgate binding rules, and powers to enforce compliance, resolve disputes, and collect data on military children's educational transitions.