Olentangy Local School District is now tracking the location, keystrokes and web browsing of every student using a school-issued device, the district disclosed Friday, Aug. 21, in a notice required under Ohio's student data privacy law.
The district's notice went live as the 2026-27 school year got underway for the district's more than 24,000 students across four high schools and dozens of elementary and middle buildings in Powell, Liberty Township and Lewis Center.
The monitoring is conducted "directly or through a technology provider," the district said, for instruction, technical support, exam proctoring and as a precaution for preventing or responding to threats to life or safety.
What the law requires
Ohio Senate Bill 29, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on July 24, 2024, and amended by House Bill 432, generally prohibits schools from electronically monitoring student devices unless a specific exception applies. Those exceptions include noncommercial educational purposes, a judicial warrant, a lost or stolen device, or internet activity flagged as a health or safety concern.
When a district does monitor under one of those exceptions, SB 29 requires it to tell parents. If the district accesses a specific student's device because of a safety threat or warrant, it must notify that student's parent within 72 hours.
The law also bars technology vendors from selling, sharing or using student data for commercial purposes, including advertising or marketing to students. Vendors must destroy or return all student records within 90 days of a contract ending.
Lightspeed runs the system
The monitoring runs around the clock.
Olentangy uses Lightspeed Systems to monitor school-managed devices and flag indicators of student harm such as bullying, suicide ideation or violent content, according to Delaware Source reporting from Aug. 10. Director of Safety, Security and Preparedness Ron Vogel told the board of education at its Aug. 10 meeting that the system is continuously staffed.
"It could be a Saturday morning that we have a student in crisis and our team will work together contacting family, contacting first responders to do a wellness check, if needed," Vogel said at the Aug. 10 board meeting.
What families should know
Under SB 29, the district must publish a list of all technology providers that access student records, including the level of data access each vendor has. The law's annual parent notification deadline is Aug. 1. The district's Friday notice did not name specific vendors beyond referencing a "technology provider."
Ohio joins more than 40 states that have enacted K-12 student data privacy laws. SB 29 adds enforcement authority for the Ohio Attorney General and allows the State Board of Education to act against an educator's license for misusing confidential student information.
The district has not announced a board meeting or public comment period tied to the monitoring disclosure. Its full vendor list required under SB 29 has not been posted publicly.
