There are just two bylaws in the section entitled “RESIDENCE. Bylaw 4-6-1 denotes that the State Board of Education establishes all public school districts. In addition, every Ohio resident lives within the boundaries of one of those public school districts. The bylaw further defines what it means to be a bona fide resident of our state. Criteria, including but not limited to 1) where the parents and family members sleep the majority of the time; 2) where mail is received; 3) where meals are prepared and eaten; 4) where the parents are registered to vote; and 5) where important family activities take place a significant part of each day, are just some of the factors that the OHSAA will examine in determining whether a family’s residence in our state is bona fide. This bylaw also reminds members that if parents establish a bona fide residence under Bylaw 4-7-2 Exception one or Bylaw 4-7-4 criterion one to support a transfer, the residence must be maintained for at least one year from the date the transfer is approved. In short, to be a bona fide resident of Ohio, you must actually live here!
This guidance will also alert administrators to the fact that in many cases, a student who meets a residence exception will also have to adhere to the transfer bylaw. Those cases will be clearly identified within this series of documents.
The purpose of this series on the Residence Bylaw is to provide guidance as to the required action on each of the Bylaws and their exceptions, if applicable.