COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio schools have one week before House Bill 8, the Parents’ Bill of Rights, takes effect.  House Bill 8 will change interactions with parents and public K-12 school districts, placing a strong emphasis on parents' rights in the classroom. The law takes effect April 9 , and although districts have until July 1 to implement most newly required policies, religious instruction policies are required by next Wednesday, and central Ohio school districts are taking various approaches. See previous coverage of HB 8 in the video player above. Districts must enact policies permitting release time for religious instruction, which is legal religious instruction during the school day as long as it occurs off campus with parent permission. Legislators added the requirement when they approved HB 8 in December, no longer allowing districts to opt out of implementing policies. Columbus City Schools reverting to birth names catches students, teachers off guard By July, public schools will have to enact policies prioritizing parents' rights in education under HB 8. These policies include ensuring sexuality content, or content that depicts "sexual concepts or gender ideology," is age-appropriate and made available for parent review. Parents are also able to excuse their students from sexuality content, although the bill does not include instruction about sexually transmitted diseases, sexual violence or references to sexuality content not included in formal instruction. Districts will also need to implement policies requiring staff to "promptly notify" students' parents of any substantial changes in their students' well-being, including any requests for students to be referred to with names or pronouns that vary from the student's biological sex. Proponents of the bill say parents' have the right to know what is happening in their children's education. Opponents say religious instruction policies can lead to distractions and place religion in schools unnecessarily. LGBTQ+ advocates also believe the bill will lead to forced outings, and a national crisis hotline reported a significant increase in calls from LGBTQ+ youth in Ohio after HB 8 was signed. Franklin County sales tax increase now in effect Central Ohio school districts have varyingly responded to the upcoming deadlines. Some districts have moved to enact H.B. 8 policy compliance now as others wait to near the July 1 requirement. Olentangy, Pickerington and Worthington schools introduced standard compliance policies in March parroting the HB 8 requirements, although Pickerington and Worthington tabled their policies for further review. Bexley City Schools took a specific compliance route, amending just one policy effective April 9: "Develop age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate lessons for students about gender diversity and acceptance." The policy's wording differs from the state's suggested HB 8 language, although it does affirm compliance by not teaching sexuality content to grades K-3. The policy reaffirms Bexley's commitment to welcoming all students regardless of gender identity or expression twice. Districts have flexibility to wait to enact full policy changes, but religious instruction adjustments have fallen into place. Worthington and Westerville both rescinded their policies last fall after concerns that pulling students from the school day led to disruptions and distractions. Both reinstated policies ahead of next week's deadline, although Worthington introduced several updates. Under Worthington's policy, religious organizations are barred from taking students out of graded courses. Groups must also provide background checks for all staff working with children and agree not to send students back to school with trinkets or candy. If any organization violates Worthington's rules, they will first get a written warning. A second offense leads to a one-year ban. DeWine denies claim of Ohio's 'anti-LGBTQ+ climate' Background checks and souvenir bans were also enacted by the state's largest district, Columbus City Schools, which updated its preexisting policy. The district already alerted all parents of any gender or name changes in March when it reverted its system to reflect students' birth names unexpectedly. Although districts will have to alert parents of gender changes as of July 1, the bill does not require schools to use birth names or genders, so other districts do not have to follow suit under H.B. 8. Superintendent Angela Chapman affirmed the district's support for transgender and gender variant students on March 28, nine days after the district updated students' names in its system. "Unfortunately, the Ohio Legislature continues its attacks on transgender and gender variant students," Chapman said, pointing to examples like the Parents' Bill of Rights. "While we may not be able to shift the views of state and federal policymakers overnight — and while we must operate within the boundaries of the law to protect our students and staff — I want to be clear about where I stand. I am proud to have transgender and gender variant students and colleagues at Columbus City Schools." Any Ohio school districts without religious instruction policies must enact them within the next week, and districts will have to implement the other required policies by the end of June. ...read more read less