A provision in HB455 eliminates the requirement for e-schools to maintain physical testing sites within 50 miles of students—shifting costs and logistics.
Most child care operators don't realize that a provision buried in Ohio's HB455 has quietly reshaped how online and computer-based community schools—often called e-schools—must handle state testing. If you run or partner with an e-school, or if you're considering the model, this change affects your bottom line and operational planning.
Before HB455, e-schools faced a strict requirement: they had to provide a physical testing facility within 50 miles of every student's home, or arrange transportation to one. Schools covered the costs of securing those spaces, reimbursing travel, and staffing in-person test administration. For operators spread across a large geographic area—or serving rural families—these expenses added up fast.
HB455 eliminates that obligation. Effective upon enactment, e-schools may now administer state-mandated tests using remote proctoring. Students can test from home or another location, with a proctor monitoring them remotely via internet or computer. This shifts the infrastructure requirement from physical facilities to digital ones.
This provision applies to internet- and computer-based community schools—typically smaller private operators that serve students across wide geographic areas. If you operate or manage an e-school in Ohio, or if you're evaluating whether to launch one, this change directly impacts your testing logistics and associated costs.
It also matters to traditional child care centers that partner with or refer families to e-schools, since the operational model of those schools just became more flexible.
Under the old model, an e-school serving students from Cleveland to Cincinnati had to either maintain multiple testing centers or coordinate expensive travel reimbursements. Remote proctoring eliminates that geographic constraint. Instead, schools must build out a remote proctoring infrastructure—software, trained proctors, technology support—but without the facility and travel costs.
For most e-school operators, this is a net cost reduction. For families, it removes a logistical barrier to enrollment. For child care centers, it means the e-schools you work with may become more accessible to your families.
One important detail: the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) must publish an annual anomaly-detection report by September 15 each year. This means the state will be monitoring remote test data for irregularities—so schools using this option need to ensure their proctoring systems are robust and well-documented.
This provision is codified in Section 3314.25, found on Page 222 of HB455. The change took effect upon the bill's enactment.
If you operate an e-school or work closely with one, reviewing your current testing protocols against this new authority is worth doing now. The shift from facility-based to remote testing is optional—not mandatory—but it's available, and it may reshape how you budget and plan.
For a more detailed breakdown of HB455's provisions affecting child care and education operators in Ohio, a free resource guide is available through the Ohio Child Care Association.