2011 Ohio Revised Code
Title [33] XXXIII EDUCATION - LIBRARIES
Chapter 3314: COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
3314.02 Proposal for converting public school to community school.

(A) As used in this chapter:

(1) “Sponsor” means an entity listed in division (C)(1) of this section, which has been approved by the department of education to sponsor community schools and with which the governing authority of the proposed community school enters into a contract pursuant to this section.

(2) “Pilot project area” means the school districts included in the territory of the former community school pilot project established by former Section 50.52 of Am. Sub. H.B. No. 215 of the 122nd general assembly.

(3) “Challenged school district” means any of the following:

(a) A school district that is part of the pilot project area;

(b) A school district that is either in a state of academic emergency or in a state of academic watch under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code;

(c) A big eight school district;

(d) A school district ranked in the lowest five per cent of school districts according to performance index score under section 3302.21 of the Revised Code.

(4) “Big eight school district” means a school district that for fiscal year 1997 had both of the following:

(a) A percentage of children residing in the district and participating in the predecessor of Ohio works first greater than thirty per cent, as reported pursuant to section 3317.10 of the Revised Code;

(b) An average daily membership greater than twelve thousand, as reported pursuant to former division (A) of section 3317.03 of the Revised Code.

(5) “New start-up school” means a community school other than one created by converting all or part of an existing public school or educational service center building, as designated in the school’s contract pursuant to division (A)(17) of section 3314.03 of the Revised Code.

(6) “Urban school district” means one of the state’s twenty-one urban school districts as defined in division (O) of section 3317.02 of the Revised Code as that section existed prior to July 1, 1998.

(7) “Internet- or computer-based community school” means a community school established under this chapter in which the enrolled students work primarily from their residences on assignments in nonclassroom-based learning opportunities provided via an internet- or other computer-based instructional method that does not rely on regular classroom instruction or via comprehensive instructional methods that include internet-based, other computer-based, and noncomputer-based learning opportunities.

(8) “Operator” means either of the following:

(a) An individual or organization that manages the daily operations of a community school pursuant to a contract between the operator and the school’s governing authority;

(b) A nonprofit organization that provides programmatic oversight and support to a community school under a contract with the school’s governing authority and that retains the right to terminate its affiliation with the school if the school fails to meet the organization’s quality standards.

(B) Any person or group of individuals may initially propose under this division the conversion of all or a portion of a public school or a building operated by an educational service center to a community school. The proposal shall be made to the board of education of the city, local, exempted village, or joint vocational school district in which the public school is proposed to be converted or, in the case of the conversion of a building operated by an educational service center, to the governing board of the service center. Upon receipt of a proposal, a board may enter into a preliminary agreement with the person or group proposing the conversion of the public school or service center building, indicating the intention of the board to support the conversion to a community school. A proposing person or group that has a preliminary agreement under this division may proceed to finalize plans for the school, establish a governing authority for the school, and negotiate a contract with the board. Provided the proposing person or group adheres to the preliminary agreement and all provisions of this chapter, the board shall negotiate in good faith to enter into a contract in accordance with section 3314.03 of the Revised Code and division (C) of this section.

(C)(1) Any person or group of individuals may propose under this division the establishment of a new start-up school to be located in a challenged school district. The proposal may be made to any of the following entities:

(a) The board of education of the district in which the school is proposed to be located;

(b) The board of education of any joint vocational school district with territory in the county in which is located the majority of the territory of the district in which the school is proposed to be located;

(c) The board of education of any other city, local, or exempted village school district having territory in the same county where the district in which the school is proposed to be located has the major portion of its territory;

(d) The governing board of any educational service center, as long as the proposed school will be located in a county within the territory of the service center or in a county contiguous to such county;

(e) A sponsoring authority designated by the board of trustees of any of the thirteen state universities listed in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code or the board of trustees itself as long as a mission of the proposed school to be specified in the contract under division (A)(2) of section 3314.03 of the Revised Code and as approved by the department of education under division (B)(2) of section 3314.015 of the Revised Code will be the practical demonstration of teaching methods, educational technology, or other teaching practices that are included in the curriculum of the university’s teacher preparation program approved by the state board of education;

(f) Any qualified tax-exempt entity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as long as all of the following conditions are satisfied:

(i) The entity has been in operation for at least five years prior to applying to be a community school sponsor.

(ii) The entity has assets of at least five hundred thousand dollars and a demonstrated record of financial responsibility.

(iii) The department of education has determined that the entity is an education-oriented entity under division (B)(3) of section 3314.015 of the Revised Code and the entity has a demonstrated record of successful implementation of educational programs.

(iv) The entity is not a community school.

Any entity described in division (C)(1) of this section may enter into a preliminary agreement pursuant to division (C)(2) of this section with the proposing person or group.

(2) A preliminary agreement indicates the intention of an entity described in division (C)(1) of this section to sponsor the community school. A proposing person or group that has such a preliminary agreement may proceed to finalize plans for the school, establish a governing authority as described in division (E) of this section for the school, and negotiate a contract with the entity. Provided the proposing person or group adheres to the preliminary agreement and all provisions of this chapter, the entity shall negotiate in good faith to enter into a contract in accordance with section 3314.03 of the Revised Code.

(3) A new start-up school that is established in a school district while that district is either in a state of academic emergency or in a state of academic watch under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code or ranked in the lowest five per cent according to performance index score under section 3302.21 of the Revised Code may continue in existence once the school district is no longer in a state of academic emergency or academic watch or ranked in the lowest five per cent according to performance index score, provided there is a valid contract between the school and a sponsor.

(4) A copy of every preliminary agreement entered into under this division shall be filed with the superintendent of public instruction.

(D) A majority vote of the board of a sponsoring entity and a majority vote of the members of the governing authority of a community school shall be required to adopt a contract and convert the public school or educational service center building to a community school or establish the new start-up school. Beginning September 29, 2005, adoption of the contract shall occur not later than the fifteenth day of March, and signing of the contract shall occur not later than the fifteenth day of May, prior to the school year in which the school will open. The governing authority shall notify the department of education when the contract has been signed. Subject to sections 3314.013 and 3314.016 of the Revised Code, an unlimited number of community schools may be established in any school district provided that a contract is entered into for each community school pursuant to this chapter.

(E)(1) As used in this division, “immediate relatives” are limited to spouses, children, parents, grandparents, siblings, and in-laws.

Each new start-up community school established under this chapter shall be under the direction of a governing authority which shall consist of a board of not less than five individuals.

No person shall serve on the governing authority or operate the community school under contract with the governing authority so long as the person owes the state any money or is in a dispute over whether the person owes the state any money concerning the operation of a community school that has closed.

(2) No person shall serve on the governing authorities of more than two start-up community schools at the same time.

(3) No present or former member, or immediate relative of a present or former member, of the governing authority of any community school established under this chapter shall be an owner, employee, or consultant of any sponsor or operator of a community school, unless at least one year has elapsed since the conclusion of the person’s membership.

(4) The governing authority of a start-up community school may provide by resolution for the compensation of its members. However, no individual who serves on the governing authority of a start-up community school shall be compensated more than four hundred twenty-five dollars per meeting of that governing authority and no such individual shall be compensated more than a total amount of five thousand dollars per year for all governing authorities upon which the individual serves.

(F)(1) A new start-up school that is established prior to August 15, 2003, in an urban school district that is not also a big-eight school district may continue to operate after that date and the contract between the school’s governing authority and the school’s sponsor may be renewed, as provided under this chapter, after that date, but no additional new start-up schools may be established in such a district unless the district is a challenged school district as defined in this section as it exists on and after that date.

(2) A community school that was established prior to June 29, 1999, and is located in a county contiguous to the pilot project area and in a school district that is not a challenged school district may continue to operate after that date, provided the school complies with all provisions of this chapter. The contract between the school’s governing authority and the school’s sponsor may be renewed, but no additional start-up community school may be established in that district unless the district is a challenged school district.

(3) Any educational service center that, on June 30, 2007, sponsors a community school that is not located in a county within the territory of the service center or in a county contiguous to such county may continue to sponsor that community school on and after June 30, 2007, and may renew its contract with the school. However, the educational service center shall not enter into a contract with any additional community school unless the school is located in a county within the territory of the service center or in a county contiguous to such county.

Amended by 129th General Assembly File No. 28, HB 153, § 101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Amended by 128th General Assembly File No. 9, HB 1, § 101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 08-15-2003; 09-29-2005; 06-30-2006; 03-30-2007; 2007 HB119 06-30-2007; 2008 HB562 09-22-2008