COLUMBUS, Ohio — For many kids in Ohio , the countdown to the start of the school year is just three weeks away.

When they arrive with their backpacks and pens to complete their school work, one lawmaker believes they’ll need another tool — mental health days.

Under a proposal from state Sen. Willis Blackshear Jr., (D-Dayton) the bill would allow schools to grant students up to three excused absences each school year, specifically for mental health reasons.

This initiative is designed to help remove the stigma from taking time off for mental wellness, treating mental health as equally important to physical health.

“Besides being reactive, this is something that we need to be proactive and address head on because what we don't want to see happen is, is that kids continue to go through

See Full Page