H. B. No. 279 As Introduced

As Introduced

128th General Assembly

Regular Session

2009-2010

H. B. No. 279

Representative Foley

A BILL

To amend section 3301.56 of the Revised Code with

respect to staff member to child ratios and

maximum group sizes when Montessori preschools

combine preschool-aged children and

kindergartners.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 3301.56 of the Revised Code be	6
amended to read as follows:	7

Sec. 3301.56. (A) The director of each preschool program	8
shall be responsible for the following:	9

(1) Ensuring that the health and safety of the children are	10
safeguarded by an organized program of school health services	11
designed to identify child health problems and to coordinate	12
school and community health resources for children, as evidenced	13
by but not limited to:	14

(a) Requiring immunization and compliance with emergency	15
medical authorization requirements in accordance with rules	16
adopted by the state board of education under section 3301.53 of	17
the Revised Code;	18

(b) Providing procedures for emergency situations, including	19
fire drills, rapid dismissals, tornado drills, and school safety	20
drills in accordance with section 3737.73 of the Revised Code, and	21
keeping records of such drills or dismissals;	22

(c) Posting emergency procedures in preschool rooms and	23
making them available to school personnel, children, and parents;	24

(d) Posting emergency numbers by each telephone;

(e) Supervising grounds, play areas, and other facilities	26
when scheduled for use by children;	27

(f) Providing first-aid facilities and materials.

(2) Maintaining cumulative records for each child;

(3) Supervising each child's admission, placement, and	30
withdrawal according to established procedures;	31

(4) Preparing at least once annually for each group of	32
children in the program a roster of names and telephone numbers of	33
parents, guardians, and custodians of children in the group and,	34
on request, furnishing the roster for each group to the parents,	35
guardians, and custodians of children in that group. The director	36
may prepare a similar roster of all children in the program and,	37
on request, make it available to the parents, guardians, and	38
custodians, of children in the program. The director shall not	39
include in either roster the name or telephone number of any	40
parent, guardian, or custodian who requests that the parent's,	41
guardian's, or custodian's name or number not be included, and	42
shall not furnish any roster to any person other than a parent,	43
guardian, or custodian of a child in the program.	44

(5) Ensuring that clerical and custodial services are	45
provided for the program;	46

(6) Supervising the instructional program and the daily	47
operation of the program;	48

(7) Supervising and evaluating preschool staff members	49
according to a planned sequence of observations and evaluation	50
conferences, and supervising nonteaching employees.	51

(B)(1) In each program the maximum number of children per	52
preschool staff member and the maximum group size by age category	53
of children shall be as follows:	54

(2) When age groups are combined, the maximum number of	67
children per preschool staff member shall be determined by the age	68
of the youngest child in the group, except that when no more than	69
one child thirty months of age or older receives child care in a	70
group in which all the other children are in the next older age	71
group, the maximum number of children per child-care staff member	72
and maximum group size requirements of the older age group	73
established under division (B)(1) of this section shall apply.	74

(3) In a room where children are napping, if all the children	75
are at least eighteen months of age, the maximum number of	76
children per preschool staff member shall, for a period not to	77
exceed one and one-half hours in any twenty-four hour day, be	78
twice the maximum number of children per preschool staff member	79
established under division (B)(1) of this section if all the	80
following criteria are met:	81

(a) At least one preschool staff member is present in the	82
room;	83

(b) Sufficient preschool staff members are present on the	84
preschool program premises to comply with division (B)(1) of this	85
section;	86

(c) Naptime preparations have been completed and the children	87
are resting or napping.	88

(4) Any accredited program that uses the Montessori method	89
endorsed by the American Montessori society or the association	90
Montessori internationale as its primary method of instruction and	91
is licensed as a preschool program under section 3301.58 of the	92
Revised Code may combine preschool children of ages three to five	93
years old with children enrolled in kindergarten. Notwithstanding	94
anything to the contrary in division (B)(2) of this section, when	95
such age groups are combined, the maximum number of children per	96
preschool staff member ~~shall be twelve~~ and the maximum group size	97
shall be ~~twenty-four children~~consistent with the accreditation	98
standards of the society or association.	99

(C) In each building in which a preschool program is operated	100
there shall be on the premises, and readily available at all	101
times, at least one employee who has completed a course in first	102
aid and in the prevention, recognition, and management of	103
communicable diseases which is approved by the state department of	104
health, and an employee who has completed a course in child abuse	105
recognition and prevention.	106

(D) Any parent, guardian, or custodian of a child enrolled in	107
a preschool program shall be permitted unlimited access to the	108
school during its hours of operation to contact the parent's,	109
guardian's, or custodian's child, evaluate the care provided by	110
the program, or evaluate the premises, or for other purposes	111
approved by the director. Upon entering the premises, the parent,	112
guardian, or custodian shall report to the school office.	113

Section 2. That existing section 3301.56 of the Revised Code	114
is hereby repealed.	115