As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session S. B. No. 332

2025-2026

To amend sections 133.06, 505.431, 3302.036, 3302.042, 3302.16, 3302.17, 3310.03, 3311.29, 3313.951, and 3314.102; to enact new section 3302.10; and to repeal sections 3302.10, 3302.103, 3302.11, 3302.111, and 3302.12 of the Revised Code and to repeal Sections 4, 5, and 6 of H.B. 70 of the 131st General Assembly to dissolve academic distress commissions and to instead require student support teams for certain low-performing school buildings and to authorize a law enforcement agency to provide school resource officer services to a chartered nonpublic school.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That sections 133.06, 505.431, 3302.036, 3302.042, 3302.16, 3302.17, 3310.03, 3311.29, 3313.951, and 3314.102 be amended and new section 3302.10 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 133.06. (A) A school district shall not incur, without a vote of the electors, net indebtedness that exceeds an amount equal to one-tenth of one per cent of its tax valuation, except as provided in divisions (G) and (H) of this section and in division (D) of section 3313.372 of the Revised Code, or as prescribed in section 3318.052 or 3318.44 of the Revised Code, or as provided in division (J) of this section.

(B) Except as provided in divisions (E), (F), and (I) of this section, a school district shall not incur net indebtedness that exceeds an amount equal to nine per cent of its tax valuation.

(C) A school district shall not submit to a vote of the electors the question of the issuance of securities in an amount that will make the district's net indebtedness after the issuance of the securities exceed an amount equal to four per cent of its tax valuation, unless the director of education and workforce, acting under policies adopted by the department of education and workforce, and the tax commissioner, acting under written policies of the commissioner, consent to the submission. A request for the consents shall be made at least one hundred twenty days prior to the election at which the question is to be submitted.

The director of education and workforce shall certify to the district the director's and the tax commissioner's decisions within thirty days after receipt of the request for consents.

If the electors do not approve the issuance of securities at the election for which the director of education and workforce and tax commissioner consented to the submission of the question, the school district may submit the same question to the electors on the date that the next special election may be held under section 3501.01 of the Revised Code without submitting a new request for consent. If the school district seeks to submit the same question at any other subsequent election, the district shall first submit a new request for consent in accordance with this division.

(D) In calculating the net indebtedness of a school district, none of the following shall be considered:

(1) Securities issued to acquire school buses and other equipment used in transporting pupils or issued pursuant to division (D) of section 133.10 of the Revised Code;

(2) Securities issued under division (F) of this section and, to the extent in excess of the limitation stated in division (B) of this section, under division (E) of this section;

(3) Indebtedness resulting from the dissolution of a joint vocational school district under section 3311.217 of the Revised Code, evidenced by outstanding securities of that joint vocational school district;

(4) Loans, evidenced by any securities, received under sections 3313.483, 3317.0210, and 3317.0211 of the Revised Code;

(5) Debt incurred under section 3313.374 of the Revised Code;

(6) Debt incurred pursuant to division (B)(4) of section 3313.37 of the Revised Code to acquire computers and related hardware;

(7) Debt incurred under section 3318.042 of the Revised Code;

(8) Debt incurred under section 5705.2112 or 5705.2113 of the Revised Code by the fiscal board of a qualifying partnership of which the school district is a participating school district.

(E) A school district may become a special needs district as to certain securities as provided in division (E) of this section.

(1) A board of education, by resolution, may declare its school district to be a special needs district by determining both of the following:

(a) The student population is not being adequately serviced by the existing permanent improvements of the district.

(b) The district cannot obtain sufficient funds by the issuance of securities within the limitation of division (B) of this section to provide additional or improved needed permanent improvements in time to meet the needs.

(2) The board of education shall certify a copy of that resolution to the director of education and workforce with a statistical report showing all of the following:

(a) The history of and a projection of the growth of the tax valuation;

(b) The projected needs;

(3) The director of education and workforce shall certify the district as an approved special needs district if the director finds both of the following:

(a) The district does not have available sufficient additional funds from state or federal sources to meet the projected needs.

(b) The projection of the potential average growth of tax valuation during the next five years, according to the information certified to the director and any other information the director obtains, indicates a likelihood of potential average growth of tax valuation of the district during the next five years of an average of not less than one and one-half per cent per year. The findings and certification of the director shall be conclusive.

(4) An approved special needs district may incur net indebtedness by the issuance of securities in accordance with the provisions of this chapter in an amount that does not exceed an amount equal to the greater of the following:

(a) Twelve per cent of the sum of its tax valuation plus an amount that is the product of multiplying that tax valuation by the percentage by which the tax valuation has increased over the tax valuation on the first day of the sixtieth month preceding the month in which its board determines to submit to the electors the question of issuing the proposed securities;

(b) Twelve per cent of the sum of its tax valuation plus an amount that is the product of multiplying that tax valuation by the percentage, determined by the director of education and workforce, by which that tax valuation is projected to increase during the next ten years.

(F) A school district may issue securities for emergency purposes, in a principal amount that does not exceed an amount equal to three per cent of its tax valuation, as provided in this division.

(1) A board of education, by resolution, may declare an emergency if it determines both of the following:

(a) School buildings or other necessary school facilities in the district have been wholly or partially destroyed, or condemned by a constituted public authority, or that such buildings or facilities are partially constructed, or so constructed or planned as to require additions and improvements to them before the buildings or facilities are usable for their intended purpose, or that corrections to permanent improvements are necessary to remove or prevent health or safety hazards.

(b) Existing fiscal and net indebtedness limitations make adequate replacement, additions, or improvements impossible.

(2) Upon the declaration of an emergency, the board of education may, by resolution, submit to the electors of the district pursuant to section 133.18 of the Revised Code the question of issuing securities for the purpose of paying the cost, in excess of any insurance or condemnation proceeds received by the district, of permanent improvements to respond to the emergency need.

(3) The procedures for the election shall be as provided in section 133.18 of the Revised Code, except that:

(a) The form of the ballot shall describe the emergency existing, refer to this division as the authority under which the emergency is declared, and state that the amount of the proposed securities exceeds the limitations prescribed by division (B) of this section;

(b) The resolution required by division (B) of section 133.18 of the Revised Code shall be certified to the county auditor and the board of elections at least one hundred days prior to the election;

(c) The county auditor shall advise and, not later than ninety-five days before the election, confirm that advice by certification to, the board of education of the information required by division (C) of section 133.18 of the Revised Code;

(d) The board of education shall then certify its resolution and the information required by division (D) of section 133.18 of the Revised Code to the board of elections not less than ninety days prior to the election.

(4) Notwithstanding division (B) of section 133.21 of the Revised Code, the first principal payment of securities issued under this division may be set at any date not later than sixty months after the earliest possible principal payment otherwise provided for in that division.

(G)(1) The board of education may contract with an architect, professional engineer, or other person experienced in the design and implementation of energy conservation measures for an analysis and recommendations pertaining to installations, modifications of installations, or remodeling that would significantly reduce energy consumption in buildings owned by the district. The report shall include estimates of all costs of such installations, modifications, or remodeling, including costs of design, engineering, installation, maintenance, repairs, measurement and verification of energy savings, and debt service, forgone residual value of materials or equipment replaced by the energy conservation measure, as defined by the Ohio facilities construction commission, a baseline analysis of actual energy consumption data for the preceding three years with the utility baseline based on only the actual energy consumption data for the preceding twelve months, and estimates of the amounts by which energy consumption and resultant operational and maintenance costs, as defined by the commission, would be reduced.

If the board finds after receiving the report that the amount of money the district would spend on such installations, modifications, or remodeling is not likely to exceed the amount of money it would save in energy and resultant operational and maintenance costs over the ensuing fifteen years, the board may submit to the commission a copy of its findings and a request for approval to incur indebtedness to finance the making or modification of installations or the remodeling of buildings for the purpose of significantly reducing energy consumption.

The facilities construction commission, in consultation with the auditor of state, may deny a request under division (G)(1) of this section by the board of education of any school district that is in a state of fiscal watch pursuant to division (A) of section 3316.03 of the Revised Code, if it determines that the expenditure of funds is not in the best interest of the school district.

No district board of education of a school district that is in a state of fiscal emergency pursuant to division (B) of section 3316.03 of the Revised Code shall submit a request without submitting evidence that the installations, modifications, or remodeling have been approved by the district's financial planning and supervision commission established under section 3316.05 of the Revised Code.

No board of education of a school district for which an academic distress commission has been established under section 3302.10 of the Revised Code shall submit a request without first receiving approval to incur indebtedness from the district's academic distress commission established under that section, for so long as such commission continues to be required for the district.

(2) The board of education may contract with a person experienced in the implementation of student transportation to produce a report that includes an analysis of and recommendations for the use of alternative fuel vehicles by school districts. The report shall include cost estimates detailing the return on investment over the life of the alternative fuel vehicles and environmental impact of alternative fuel vehicles. The report also shall include estimates of all costs associated with alternative fuel transportation, including facility modifications and vehicle purchase costs or conversion costs.

If the board finds after receiving the report that the amount of money the district would spend on purchasing alternative fuel vehicles or vehicle conversion is not likely to exceed the amount of money it would save in fuel and resultant operational and maintenance costs over the ensuing five years, the board may submit to the commission a copy of its findings and a request for approval to incur indebtedness to finance the purchase of new alternative fuel vehicles or vehicle conversions for the purpose of reducing fuel costs.

The facilities construction commission, in consultation with the auditor of state, may deny a request under division (G)(2) of this section by the board of education of any school district that is in a state of fiscal watch pursuant to division (A) of section 3316.03 of the Revised Code, if it determines that the expenditure of funds is not in the best interest of the school district.

No district board of education of a school district that is in a state of fiscal emergency pursuant to division (B) of section 3316.03 of the Revised Code shall submit a request without submitting evidence that the purchase or conversion of alternative fuel vehicles has been approved by the district's financial planning and supervision commission established under section 3316.05 of the Revised Code.

(3) The facilities construction commission shall approve the board's request provided that the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) The commission determines that the board's findings are reasonable.

(b) The request for approval is complete.

(c) If the request was submitted under division (G)(1) of this section, the installations, modifications, or remodeling are consistent with any project to construct or acquire classroom facilities, or to reconstruct or make additions to existing classroom facilities under sections 3318.01 to 3318.20 or sections 3318.40 to 3318.45 of the Revised Code.

Upon receipt of the commission's approval, the district may issue securities without a vote of the electors in a principal amount not to exceed nine-tenths of one per cent of its tax valuation for the purpose specified in division (G)(1) or (2) of this section, but the total net indebtedness of the district without a vote of the electors incurred under this and all other sections of the Revised Code, except section 3318.052 of the Revised Code, shall not exceed one per cent of the district's tax valuation.

(4)(a) So long as any securities issued under division (G)(1) of this section remain outstanding, the board of education shall monitor the energy consumption and resultant operational and maintenance costs of buildings in which installations or modifications have been made or remodeling has been done pursuant to that division. Except as provided in division (G)(4)(b) of this section, the board shall maintain and annually update a report in a form and manner prescribed by the facilities construction commission documenting the reductions in energy consumption and resultant operational and maintenance cost savings attributable to such installations, modifications, or remodeling. The resultant operational and maintenance cost savings shall be certified by the school district treasurer. The report shall be submitted annually to the commission.

(b) If the facilities construction commission verifies that the certified annual reports submitted to the commission by a board of education under division (G)(4)(a) of this section fulfill the guarantee required under division (B) of section 3313.372 of the Revised Code for three consecutive years, the board of education shall no longer be subject to the annual reporting requirements of division (G)(4)(a) of this section.

(5) So long as any securities issued under division (G)(2) of this section remain outstanding, the board of education shall monitor the purchase of new alternative fuel vehicles or vehicle conversions pursuant to that division. The board shall maintain and annually update a report in a form and manner prescribed by the facilities construction commission documenting the purchase of new alternative fuel vehicles or vehicle conversions, the associated environmental impact, and return on investment. The resultant fuel and operational and maintenance cost savings shall be certified by the school district treasurer. The report shall be submitted annually to the commission.

(H) With the consent of the director of education and workforce, a school district may incur without a vote of the electors net indebtedness that exceeds the amounts stated in divisions (A) and (G) of this section for the purpose of paying costs of permanent improvements, if and to the extent that both of the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) The fiscal officer of the school district estimates that receipts of the school district from payments made under or pursuant to agreements entered into pursuant to section 725.02, 1728.10, 3735.671, 5709.081, 5709.082, 5709.40, 5709.41, 5709.45, 5709.57, 5709.62, 5709.63, 5709.632, 5709.73, 5709.78, or 5709.82 of the Revised Code, or distributions under division (C) of section 5709.43 or division (B) of section 5709.47 of the Revised Code, or any combination thereof, are, after accounting for any appropriate coverage requirements, sufficient in time and amount, and are committed by the proceedings, to pay the debt charges on the securities issued to evidence that indebtedness and payable from those receipts, and the taxing authority of the district confirms the fiscal officer's estimate, which confirmation is approved by the director of education and workforce;

(2) The fiscal officer of the school district certifies, and the taxing authority of the district confirms, that the district, at the time of the certification and confirmation, reasonably expects to have sufficient revenue available for the purpose of operating such permanent improvements for their intended purpose upon acquisition or completion thereof, and the director of education and workforce approves the taxing authority's confirmation.

The maximum maturity of securities issued under division (H) of this section shall be the lesser of twenty years or the maximum maturity calculated under section 133.20 of the Revised Code.

(I) A school district may incur net indebtedness by the issuance of securities in accordance with the provisions of this chapter in excess of the limit specified in division (B) or (C) of this section when necessary to raise the school district portion of the basic project cost and any additional funds necessary to participate in a project under Chapter 3318. of the Revised Code, including the cost of items designated by the facilities construction commission as required locally funded initiatives, the cost of other locally funded initiatives in an amount that does not exceed fifty per cent of the district's portion of the basic project cost, and the cost for site acquisition. A school district shall notify the director of education and workforce whenever that district will exceed either limit pursuant to this division.

(J) A school district whose portion of the basic project cost of its classroom facilities project under sections 3318.01 to 3318.20 of the Revised Code is greater than or equal to one hundred million dollars may incur without a vote of the electors net indebtedness in an amount up to two per cent of its tax valuation through the issuance of general obligation securities in order to generate all or part of the amount of its portion of the basic project cost if the controlling board has approved the facilities construction commission's conditional approval of the project under section 3318.04 of the Revised Code. The school district board and the Ohio facilities construction commission shall include the dedication of the proceeds of such securities in the agreement entered into under section 3318.08 of the Revised Code. No state moneys shall be released for a project to which this section applies until the proceeds of any bonds issued under this section that are dedicated for the payment of the school district portion of the project are first deposited into the school district's project construction fund.

Sec. 505.431. (A) The police department of any township or township police district may provide police protection to any county, municipal corporation, or township of this state, to a park district created pursuant to section 511.18 or 1545.01 of the Revised Code, or to a governmental entity of an adjoining state without a contract to provide police protection, upon the approval, by resolution, of the board of township trustees of the township in which the department is located and upon authorization by an officer or employee of the police department providing the police protection who is designated by title of office or position, pursuant to the resolution of the board of township trustees, to give such authorization.

(B) The police department of any township or township police district may, pursuant to a memorandum of understanding under division (C) of section 3313.951 of the Revised Code, and upon the approval, by resolution, of the board of township trustees, provide school resource officer services to a chartered nonpublic school located in the department's territorial jurisdiction.

(C) Chapter 2744. of the Revised Code, insofar as it applies to the operation of police departments, shall apply to any township police department or township police district and to its members when such members are rendering police services pursuant to this section outside the township or township police district by which they are employed.

Police department members acting, as provided in this section, outside the township or township police district by which they are employed shall be entitled to participate in any pension or indemnity fund established by their employer to the same extent as while acting within the township or township police district by which they are employed. Those members shall be entitled to all the rights and benefits of Chapter 4123. of the Revised Code to the same extent as while performing services within the township or township police district by which they are employed.

Sec. 3302.036. (A) Notwithstanding anything in the Revised Code to the contrary, the department of education and workforce shall not assign an overall letter grade under division (C)(3) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for any school district or building for the 2014-2015, 2015-2016, orand 2016-2017 school years, may, at the discretion of the department, not assign an individual grade to any component prescribed under division (C)(3) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code, and shall not rank school districts, community schools established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, or STEM schools established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code under section 3302.21 of the Revised Code for those school years. The report card ratings issued for the 2014-2015, 2015-2016, orand 2016-2017 school years shall not be considered in determining whether a school district or a school is subject to sanctions or penalties. However, the report card ratings of any previous or subsequent years shall be considered in determining whether a school district or building is subject to sanctions or penalties. Accordingly, the report card ratings for the 2014-2015, 2015-2016, orand 2016-2017 school years shall have no effect in determining sanctions or penalties, but shall not create a new starting point for determinations that are based on ratings over multiple years.

(B) The provisions from which a district or school is exempt under division (A) of this section shall be the following:

(1) Any restructuring provisions established under this chapter, except as required under the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001";

(2) Provisions for the Columbus city school pilot project under section 3302.042 of the Revised Code;

(3) Provisions for academic distress commissions under former section 3302.10 of the Revised Code as it existed prior to October 15, 2015. The provisions of this section do not apply to academic distress commissions under the version of that section as it exists on or after October 15, 2015.

~~(4)~~ Provisions prescribing new buildings where students are eligible for the educational choice scholarships under section 3310.03 of the Revised Code;

~~(5)~~(4) Provisions defining "challenged school districts" in which new start-up community schools were required to be located, as prescribed in section 3314.02 of the Revised Code as it existed prior to September 30, 2021;

~~(6)~~(5) Provisions prescribing community school closure requirements under section 3314.35 or 3314.351 of the Revised Code.

(C) Notwithstanding anything in the Revised Code to the contrary and except as provided in Section 3 of H.B. 7 of the 131st general assembly, no school district, community school, or STEM school shall utilize at any time during a student's academic career a student's score on any assessment administered under division (A) of section 3301.0710 or division (B)(2) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code in the 2014-2015, 2015-2016, orand 2016-2017 school years as a factor in any decision to promote or to deny the student promotion to a higher grade level or in any decision to grant course credit. No individual student score reports on such assessments administered in the 2014-2015, 2015-2016, or 2016-2017 school years shall be released, except to a student's school district or school or to the student or the student's parent or guardian.

Sec. 3302.042. (A) This section shall operate as a pilot project that applies to any school that has been ranked according to performance index score under section 3302.21 of the Revised Code in the lowest five per cent of all public school buildings statewide for three or more consecutive school years and is operated by the Columbus city school district. The pilot project shall commence once the department of education and workforce establishes implementation guidelines for the pilot project in consultation with the Columbus city school district.

(B) Except as provided in division (D), (E), or (F) of this section, if the parents or guardians of at least fifty per cent of the students enrolled in a school to which this section applies, or if the parents or guardians of at least fifty per cent of the total number of students enrolled in that school and the schools of lower grade levels whose students typically matriculate into that school, by the thirty-first day of December of any school year in which the school is subject to this section, sign and file with the school district treasurer a petition requesting the district board of education to implement one of the following reforms in the school, and if the validity and sufficiency of the petition is certified in accordance with division (C) of this section, the board shall implement the requested reform in the next school year:

(1) Reopen the school as a community school under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code;

(2) Replace at least seventy per cent of the school's personnel who are related to the school's poor academic performance or, at the request of the petitioners, retain not more than thirty per cent of the personnel;

(3) Contract with another school district or a nonprofit or for-profit entity with a demonstrated record of effectiveness to operate the school;

(4) Turn operation of the school over to the department;

(5) Any other major restructuring of the school that makes fundamental reforms in the school's staffing or governance.

(C) Not later than thirty days after receipt of a petition under division (B) of this section, the district treasurer shall verify the validity and sufficiency of the signatures on the petition and certify to the district board whether the petition contains the necessary number of valid signatures to require the board to implement the reform requested by the petitioners. If the treasurer certifies to the district board that the petition does not contain the necessary number of valid signatures, any person who signed the petition may file an appeal with the county auditor within ten days after the certification. Not later than thirty days after the filing of an appeal, the county auditor shall conduct an independent verification of the validity and sufficiency of the signatures on the petition and certify to the district board whether the petition contains the necessary number of valid signatures to require the board to implement the requested reform. If the treasurer or county auditor certifies that the petition contains the necessary number of valid signatures, the district board shall notify the department of the certification.

(D) The district board shall not implement the reform requested by the petitioners in any of the following circumstances:

(1) The district board has determined that the request is for reasons other than improving student academic achievement or student safety.

(2) The department has determined that implementation of the requested reform would not comply with the model of differentiated accountability described in section 3302.041 of the Revised Code.

(3) The petitioners have requested the district board to implement the reform described in division (B)(4) of this section and the department has not agreed to take over the school's operation.

(4) When all of the following have occurred:

(a) After a public hearing on the matter, the district board issued a written statement explaining the reasons that it is unable to implement the requested reform and agreeing to implement one of the other reforms described in division (B) of this section.

(b) The district board submitted its written statement to the department along with evidence showing how the alternative reform the district board has agreed to implement will enable the school to improve its academic performance.

(E) If the provisions of this section conflict in any way with the requirements of federal law, federal law shall prevail over the provisions of this section.

(F) If a school is restructured under this section~~, section 3302.10 or 3302.12 of the Revised Code,~~ or federal law, the school shall not be required to restructure again under state law for three consecutive years after the implementation of that prior restructuring.

(G) Beginning not later than six months after the first petition under this section has been resolved, the department shall annually evaluate the pilot program and submit a report to the general assembly under section 101.68 of the Revised Code. Such reports shall contain its recommendations to the general assembly with respect to the continuation of the pilot program, its expansion to other school districts, or the enactment of further legislation establishing the program statewide under permanent law.

Sec. 3302.10. (A) Any academic distress commission organized for a school district under former section 3302.10 of the Revised Code, as it existed prior to the effective date of this section, is hereby dissolved. The board of education of each district wherein an academic distress commission previously had been established shall reassume all of the powers granted to it under the Revised Code.

(B) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the board of education of a school district for which an academic distress commission had been established under former section 3302.10 of the Revised Code, as it existed prior to the effective date of this section and was dissolved on that date, shall establish a student support team for each building operated by the district that received an overall rating of less than two stars on the state report card under division (D)(3) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.

The student support team shall remain in effect until the school building receives an overall rating of at least three stars, after which the support team may dissolve or continue at the discretion of the district board.

(C)(1) A student support team established under this section shall be comprised of the following individuals:

(a) One school board member appointed by the school board;

(b) The district superintendent, who shall serve as chair of the support team;

(d) One or two school improvement specialists, appointed by the district superintendent, at least one of which must be employed by the district;

(e) Three classroom teachers assigned to the school building, appointed by the local association representing teachers;

(f) One special education teacher assigned to the building, appointed by the building principal;

(g) One intervention specialist assigned to the building, appointed by the building principal;

(h) Two parents, selected by the parent-teacher association president of the school building;

(i) One individual from the department of education and workforce state support team assigned to the region in which the school district is located.

(2) The student support team may request the participation of the following individuals on a meeting-by-meeting basis:

(a) School attendance officers;

(b) Nurses assigned to the building;

(d) Mental health professionals assigned to the building;

(e) Bus drivers that transport students assigned to the building;

(f) Students assigned to the building, with the consent of the student's parent or guardian;

(g) Parents or guardians of students assigned to the building.

(D) The student support team shall do the following:

(1) Conduct a survey of student support needs that includes outreach to students, parents, teachers, and administrators within the school building zone. The student support team may request technical assistance from the state support team assigned to its school district by the department.

(2) Develop student support recommendations that propose strategies to support student learning at the school building level, which may include proposals in the following areas:

(a) Parent and family engagement;

(b) Creating a culture of academic success among students;

(d) Student attendance;

(e) Dismissal and exclusion rates;

(f) Student safety and discipline;

(g) Student promotion and dropout rates;

(h) Graduation rates;

(i) Linking community organizations, volunteers, and other resources with student support needs, and any other area the student support team determines is appropriate.

(3) Submit the student support recommendations to the district board for approval not later than the final day of the school year in which the process described in division (C)(1) of this section began, though the team may submit the plan prior to that date. The district board and the district superintendent shall review the plan and may change elements of the plan in consultation with the student support team. Prior to approving the plan, the district board may seek community feedback in one or more public hearings.

Sec. 3302.16. (A)(1) As used in sections 3302.10, 3302.17, and 3302.18 of the Revised Code, "community learning center" means a school operated by a city, exempted village, or local school district or community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code that participates in a coordinated, community-based effort with community partners to provide comprehensive educational, developmental, family, and health services to students, families, and community members during school hours and hours in which school is not in session.

(2) For purposes of this section and sections 3302.10, 3302.17, and 3302.18 of the Revised Code, "community partner" means a provider to students, families, or community members of health care services, on-site resource coordinators, and any other services or programs determined appropriate by a school action team created under section 3302.18 of the Revised Code.

(B) Prior to providing health services to a student, a community learning center shall obtain the written consent of the student's parent, guardian, or custodian, if the student is less than eighteen years old, or the written consent of the student, if the student is at least eighteen years old.

(C) A community learning center and any employee, contractor, or volunteer of a community learning center shall, in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws, maintain the confidentiality of patient-identifying information obtained in the course of providing health services.

Sec. 3302.17. (A) Any school building operated by a city, exempted village, or local school district, or a community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code is eligible to initiate the community learning center process as prescribed by this section.

(B) ~~Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, each~~Each district board of education or community school governing authority may initiate a community learning center process for any school building ~~to which this section applies~~in the manner prescribed by this section.

First, the board or governing authority shall conduct a public information hearing at each school building to which this section applies to inform the community of the community learning center process. The board or governing authority may do all of the following with regard to the public information hearing:

(1) Announce the meeting not less than forty-five days in advance at the school and on the school's or district's web sites and using tools to ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities;

(2) Schedule the meeting for an evening or weekend time;

(3) Provide interpretation services and written materials in all languages spoken by five per cent or more of the students enrolled in the school;

(4) Provide child care services for parents attending the meeting;

(5) Provide parents, students, teachers, nonteaching employees, and community members with the opportunity to speak at the meeting;

(6) Comply with section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

In preparing for the public information hearing, the board or governing authority shall ensure that information about the hearing is broadly distributed throughout the community.

The board or governing authority may enter into an agreement with any civic engagement organizations, community organizations, or employee organizations to support the implementation of the community learning center process.

The board or governing authority shall conduct a follow-up hearing at least once annually until action is further taken under the section with respect to the school building or until the conditions described in division (A) of this section no longer apply to the school building.

(C) Not sooner than forty-five days after the first public information hearing, the board or governing authority shall conduct an election, by paper ballot, to initiate the process to become a community learning center. Only parents or guardians of students enrolled in the school and students enrolled in a different school operated by a joint vocational school district but are otherwise entitled to attend the school, and teachers and nonteaching employees who are assigned to the school may vote in the election.

The board or governing authority shall distribute the ballots by mail and shall make copies available at the school and on the web site of the school. The board or governing authority also may distribute the ballots by directly giving ballots to teachers and nonteaching employees and sending home ballots with every student enrolled in the school building.

(D) The board or governing authority shall initiate the transition of the building to a community learning center if the results of the election held under division (C) of this section are as follows:

(1) At least fifty per cent of parents and guardians of students enrolled in the eligible school building and students enrolled in a different building operated by a joint vocational school district but who are entitled to attend the school cast ballots by a date set by the board or governing authority, and of those ballots at least sixty-seven per cent are in favor of initiating the process; and

(2) At least fifty per cent of teachers and nonteaching employees who are assigned to the school cast ballots by a date set by the board or governing authority, and of those ballots at least sixty-seven per cent are in favor of initiating the process.

(E) If a community learning center process is initiated under this section, the board or governing authority shall create a school action team under section 3302.18 of the Revised Code. Within four months upon selection, the school action team shall conduct and complete, in consultation with community partners, a performance audit of the school and review, with parental input, the needs of the school with regard to restructuring under section ~~3302.10, 3302.12, or~~ 3302.042 of the Revised Code, or federal law.

The school action team shall provide quarterly updates of its work in a public hearing that complies with the same specifications prescribed in division (B) of this section.

(F) Upon completion of the audit and review, the school action team shall present its findings at a public hearing that complies with the same specifications prescribed in division (B) of this section. After the school action team presents its findings at the public hearing, it shall create a community learning center improvement plan that designates appropriate interventions, which may be based on the recommendations developed by the department under division (H)(1)(b) of this section.

If there is a federally mandated school improvement planning process, the team shall coordinate its work with that plan.

The school action team shall approve the plan by a majority vote.

(G) Upon approval of the plan by the school action team, the team shall submit the community learning center improvement plan to the same individuals described in division (C) of this section. Ballots shall be distributed and an election shall be conducted in the same manner as indicated under that division.

The school action team shall submit the plan to the district board of education or community school governing authority, if the results of the election under division (G) of this section are as follows:

(1) At least thirty per cent of parents and guardians of students enrolled in the eligible school building and students enrolled in a different building operated by a joint vocational school district but who are entitled to attend the school cast ballots by a date set by the board or governing authority, and of those ballots at least fifty per cent are in favor of initiating the process; and

(2) At least thirty per cent of teachers and nonteaching employees who are assigned to the school cast ballots by a date set by the board or governing authority, and of those ballots at least fifty per cent are in favor of initiating the process.

The board or governing authority shall evaluate the plan and determine whether to adopt it. The board or governing authority shall adopt the plan in full or adopt portions of the plan. If the board or governing authority does not adopt the plan in full, it shall provide a written explanation of why portions of the plan were rejected.

(H)(1) The department shall do all of the following with respect to this section:

(a) Adopt rules regarding the elections required under this section;

(b) Develop appropriate interventions for a community learning center improvement plan that may be used by a school action team under division (F) of this section;

(c) Publish a menu of programs and services that may be offered by community learning centers. The information shall be posted on the department's web site. To compile this information the department shall solicit input from resource coordinators of existing community learning centers.

(d) Provide information regarding implementation of comprehensive community-based programs and supportive services including the community learning center model to school buildings meeting any of the following conditions:

(i) The building is in improvement status as defined by the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" or under an agreement between the Ohio department of education and workforce and the United States secretary of education.

(ii) The building is a secondary school that is among the lowest achieving fifteen per cent of secondary schools statewide, as determined by the department.

(iii) The building is a secondary school with a graduation rate of sixty per cent or lower for three or more consecutive years.

(iv) The building is a school that the department determines is persistently low-performing.

(2) The department may do the following with respect to this section:

(a) Provide assistance, facilitation, and training to school action teams in the conducting of the audit required under this section;

(b) Provide opportunities for members of school action teams from different schools to share school improvement strategies with parents, teachers, and other relevant stakeholders in higher performing schools;

(c) Provide financial support in a school action team's planning process and create a grant program to assist in the implementation of a qualified community learning center plan.

(I) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, the requirements of this section prevail over any conflicting provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into on or after October 15, 2015. However, the board or governing authority and the teachers' labor organization may negotiate additional factors to be considered in the adoption of a community learning center plan.

Sec. 3310.03. For the 2021-2022 school year and each school year thereafter, subject to division (G) of this section, a student is an "eligible student" for purposes of the educational choice scholarship pilot program if the student's resident district is not a school district in which the pilot project scholarship program is operating under sections 3313.974 to 3313.979 of the Revised Code, the student satisfies one of the conditions in division (A), (B), or (C) of this section, and the student maintains eligibility to receive a scholarship under division (D) of this section.

However, any student who received a scholarship for the 2020-2021 school year under this section, as it existed prior to March 2, 2021, shall continue to receive that scholarship until the student completes grade twelve, as long as the student maintains eligibility to receive a scholarship under division (D) of this section.

(A)(1) A student is eligible for a scholarship if the student is enrolled in a school building operated by the student's resident district and to which both of the following apply:

(a) The building was ranked in the lowest twenty per cent of all buildings operated by city, local, and exempted village school districts according to performance index score as determined by the department of education and workforce, as follows:

(i) For a scholarship sought for the 2021-2022 or 2022-2023 school year, the building was ranked in the lowest twenty per cent of buildings for each of the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years.

(ii) For a scholarship sought for the 2023-2024 school year, the building was ranked in the lowest twenty per cent of buildings for each of the 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 school years.

(iii) For a scholarship sought for the 2024-2025 school year, the building was ranked in the lowest twenty per cent of buildings for each of the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years.

(iv) For a scholarship sought for the 2025-2026 school year or any school year thereafter, the building was ranked in the lowest twenty per cent of buildings for at least two of the three most recent consecutive rankings issued prior to the first day of July of the school year for which a scholarship is sought.

(b) The building is operated by a school district in which, for the three consecutive school years prior to the school year for which a scholarship is sought, an average of twenty per cent or more of the students entitled to attend school in the district, under section 3313.64 or 3313.65 of the Revised Code, were qualified to be included in the formula to distribute funds under Title I of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.

When ranking school buildings under division (A)(1) of this section, the department shall not include buildings operated by a school district in which the pilot project scholarship program is operating in accordance with sections 3313.974 to 3313.979 of the Revised Code.

(2) A student is eligible for a scholarship if the student will be enrolling in any of grades kindergarten through twelve in this state for the first time in the school year for which a scholarship is sought, will be at least five years of age, as defined in section 3321.01 of the Revised Code, by the first day of January of the school year for which a scholarship is sought, and otherwise would be assigned under section 3319.01 of the Revised Code in the school year for which a scholarship is sought, to a school building described in division (A)(1) of this section.

(3) A student is eligible for a scholarship if the student is enrolled in a community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code but otherwise would be assigned under section 3319.01 of the Revised Code to a building described in division (A)(1) of this section.

(4) A student is eligible for a scholarship if the student is enrolled in a school building operated by the student's resident district or in a community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code and otherwise would be assigned under section 3319.01 of the Revised Code to a school building described in division (A)(1) of this section in the school year for which the scholarship is sought.

(5) A student is eligible for a scholarship if the student was enrolled in a public or nonpublic school or was homeschooled in the prior school year and completed any of grades eight through eleven in that school year and otherwise would be assigned under section 3319.01 of the Revised Code to a school building described in division (A)(1) of this section in the school year for which the scholarship is sought.

(B) A student is eligible for a scholarship if the student is enrolled in a nonpublic school at the time the school is granted a charter by the director of education and workforce under section 3301.16 of the Revised Code and the student meets the standards of division (B) of section 3310.031 of the Revised Code.

(C) APrior to the effective date of this amendment, a student is eligible for a scholarship if the student's resident district iswas subject to former section 3302.10 of the Revised Code ~~and the student either:~~

~~(1) Is enrolled in a school building operated by the resident district or in a community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code;~~

(2) Will be both enrolling in any of grades kindergarten through twelve in this state for the first time and at least five years of age by the first day of January of the school year for which a scholarship is soughtas it existed on that date, and the student remains an eligible student pursuant to division (D) of this section. The department shall cease awarding first-time scholarships pursuant to division (C) of this section on the effective date of this amendment.

(D) A student who receives a scholarship under the educational choice scholarship pilot program remains an eligible student and may continue to receive scholarships in subsequent school years until the student completes grade twelve, so long as all of the following apply:

(1) The student's resident district remains the same, or the student transfers to a new resident district and otherwise would be assigned in the new resident district to a school building described in division (A)(1) or (C) of this section.

(2) The student takes each assessment prescribed for the student's grade level under section 3301.0710, 3301.0712, or 3313.619 of the Revised Code while enrolled in a chartered nonpublic school, unless one of the following applies to the student:

(a) The student is excused from taking that assessment under federal law, the student's individualized education program, or division (C)(1)(c)(i) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code.

(b) The student is enrolled in a chartered nonpublic school that meets the conditions specified in division (K)(2) or (L)(4) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code.

(c) The student is enrolled in any of grades three to eight and takes an alternative standardized assessment under division (K)(1) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code.

(d) The student is excused from taking the assessment prescribed under division (B)(1) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code pursuant to division (C)(1)(c)(ii) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code.

(3) In each school year that the student is enrolled in a chartered nonpublic school, the student is absent from school for not more than twenty days that the school is open for instruction, not including excused absences.

~~(E)(1)~~(E) The department shall cease awarding first-time scholarships pursuant to divisions (A)(1) to (5) of this section with respect to a school building that, in the most recent ratings of school buildings under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code prior to the first day of July of the school year, ceases to meet the criteria in division (A)(1) of this section.

(2) The department shall cease awarding first-time scholarships pursuant to division (C) of this section with respect to a school district subject to section 3302.10 of the Revised Code when the academic distress commission established for the district ceases to exist.

~~(3)~~ However, students who have received scholarships in the prior school year remain eligible students pursuant to division (D) of this section.

(F) The department shall adopt rules defining excused absences for purposes of division (D)(3) of this section.

(G) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section or section 3310.031 of the Revised Code, a student shall not be required to be enrolled or enrolling in a school building operated by the student's resident district or a community school in order to be eligible for a scholarship, as follows:

(1) For a scholarship sought for the 2021-2022 school year, a student entering any of grades kindergarten through two;

(2) For a scholarship sought for the 2022-2023 school year, a student entering any of grades kindergarten through four;

(3) For a scholarship sought for the 2023-2024 school year, a student entering any of grades kindergarten through six;

(4) For a scholarship sought for the 2024-2025 school year, a student entering any of grades kindergarten through eight;

(5) For a scholarship sought for the 2025-2026 school year, and each school year thereafter, a student entering any of grades kindergarten through twelve.

(H) Except as provided for in section 3310.13 of the Revised Code and in division (C)(2) of section 3365.07 of the Revised Code, the department shall not require the parent of a student who applies for or receives a scholarship under this section or section 3310.033, 3310.034, or 3310.035 of the Revised Code to complete any kind of income verification regarding the student's family income.

Sec. 3311.29. (A) Except as provided under division (B), (C), or (D) of this section, no school district shall be created and no school district shall exist which does not maintain within such district public schools consisting of grades kindergarten through twelve and any such existing school district not maintaining such schools shall be dissolved and its territory joined with another school district or districts by order of the state board of education if no agreement is made among the surrounding districts voluntarily, which order shall provide an equitable division of the funds, property, and indebtedness of the dissolved school district among the districts receiving its territory. The state board of education may authorize exceptions to school districts where topography, sparsity of population, and other factors make compliance impracticable.

The director of education and workforce is without authority to distribute funds under Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code to any school district that does not maintain schools with grades kindergarten through twelve and to which no exception has been granted by the state board of education.

(B) Division (A) of this section does not apply to any joint vocational school district or any cooperative education school district established pursuant to divisions (A) to (C) of section 3311.52 of the Revised Code.

(C)(1)(a) Except as provided in division (C)(3) of this section, division (A) of this section does not apply to any cooperative education school district established pursuant to section 3311.521 of the Revised Code nor to the city, exempted village, or local school districts that have territory within such a cooperative education district.

(b) The cooperative district and each city, exempted village, or local district with territory within the cooperative district shall maintain the grades that the resolution adopted or amended pursuant to section 3311.521 of the Revised Code specifies.

(2) Any cooperative education school district described under division (C)(1) of this section that fails to maintain the grades it is specified to operate shall be dissolved by order of the state board of education unless prior to such an order the cooperative district is dissolved pursuant to section 3311.54 of the Revised Code. Any such order shall provide for the equitable adjustment, division, and disposition of the assets, property, debts, and obligations of the district among each city, local, and exempted village school district whose territory is in the cooperative district and shall provide that the tax duplicate of each city, local, and exempted village school district whose territory is in the cooperative district shall be bound for and assume its share of the outstanding indebtedness of the cooperative district.

(3) If any city, exempted village, or local school district described under division (C)(1) of this section fails to maintain the grades it is specified to operate the cooperative district within which it has territory shall be dissolved in accordance with division (C)(2) of this section and upon that dissolution any city, exempted village, or local district failing to maintain grades kindergarten through twelve shall be subject to the provisions for dissolution in division (A) of this section.

(D) Division (A) of this section does not apply to any school district that is or has ever been subject to former section 3302.10 of the Revised Code, as it ~~exists on and after October 15, 2015~~existed prior to the effective date of this amendment, and has had a majority of its schools reconstituted or closed under that section.

Sec. 3313.951. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Law enforcement agency" has the same meaning as in section 149.435 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Peace officer" has the same meaning as in division (A)(1) of section 109.71 of the Revised Code.

(3) "School resource officer" means a peace officer who is appointed through a memorandum of understanding between a law enforcement agency and a school district or a chartered nonpublic school to provide services to a school district or school as described in this section.

(B)(1) A school resource officer who provides services to a school district or school on or after November 2, 2018, shall, except as described in division (B)(2) of this section, satisfy both of the following conditions:

(a) Complete a basic training program approved by the Ohio peace officer training commission, as described in division (B)(1) of section 109.77 of the Revised Code;

(b) Complete at least forty hours of school resource officer training within one year after appointment to provide those services through one of the following entities, as approved by the Ohio peace officer training commission:

(i) The national association of school resource officers;

(ii) The Ohio school resource officer association;

(iii) The Ohio peace officer training academy.

(2) A school resource officer who is appointed to provide services to a school district or school prior to November 2, 2018, shall be exempt from compliance with the training requirements prescribed in division (B)(1)(b) of this section.

(3) A certified training program provided by an entity described in division (B)(1)(b) of this section shall include instruction regarding skills, tactics, and strategies necessary to address the specific nature of all of the following:

(a) School campuses;

(b) School building security needs and characteristics;

(i) Understanding the psychological and physiological characteristics consistent with the ages of the students in the assigned building or buildings;

(ii) Understanding the appropriate role of school resource officers regarding discipline and reducing the number of referrals to juvenile court; and

(iii) Understanding the use of developmentally appropriate interview, interrogation, de-escalation, and behavior management strategies.

(d) The mechanics of being a positive role model for youth, including appropriate communication techniques which enhance interactions between the school resource officer and students;

(e) Providing assistance on topics such as classroom management tools to provide law-related education to students and methods for managing the behaviors sometimes associated with educating children with special needs;

(f) The mechanics of the laws regarding compulsory attendance, as set forth in Chapter 3321. of the Revised Code;

(g) Identifying the trends in drug use, eliminating the instance of drug use, and encouraging a drug-free environment in schools.

(4) The Ohio peace officer training commission shall adopt rules, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, for the approval of school resource officer training provided by an entity described in division (B)(1)(b) of this section.

(C)(1) If a school district or chartered nonpublic school decides to utilize school resource officer services, the school district or chartered nonpublic school and the appropriate law enforcement agency shall first enter into a memorandum of understanding that clarifies the purpose of the school resource officer program and roles and expectations between the participating entities. If a school district is already utilizing school resource officer services on November 2, 2018, the school district and the law enforcement agency shall enter into a memorandum of understanding within one year after November 2, 2018.

(2) Each memorandum of understanding shall address the following items:

(a) Clearly defined set of goals for the school resource officer program;

(b) Background requirements or suggested expertise for employing law enforcement in the school setting, including an understanding of child and adolescent development;

(c) Professional development, including training requirements that focus on age-appropriate practices for conflict resolution and developmentally informed de-escalation and crisis intervention methods;

(d) Clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and expectations of the parties involved, including school resource officers, law enforcement, school administrators, staff, and teachers;

(e) A protocol for how suspected criminal activity versus school discipline is to be handled;

(f) The requirement for coordinated crisis planning and updating of school crisis plans;

(g) Any other discretionary items determined by the parties to foster a school resource officer program that builds positive relationships between law enforcement, school staff, and the students, promotes a safe and positive learning environment, and decreases the number of youth formally referred to the juvenile justice system.

(3) A school district or school, through its school administration, may give students an opportunity to provide input during the drafting process of any memorandum of understanding being entered into pursuant to division (C) of this section.

(D)(1) In accordance with the requirements prescribed in this section, a school resource officer may work in one or more school districts or schools providing the following services:

(a) Assistance with adoption, implementation, and amendment of the comprehensive emergency management plan required under section 5502.262 of the Revised Code;

(b) Carrying out any additional responsibilities assigned to the school resource officer under the employment engagement, contract, or memorandum of understanding, including but not limited to:

(i) Providing a safe learning environment;

(ii) Providing valuable resources to school staff members;

(iii) Fostering positive relationships with students and staff;

(iv) Developing strategies to resolve problems affecting youth and protecting all students.

(2) A school resource officer shall consult with local law enforcement officials and first responders when assisting a school district's or chartered nonpublic school's administrator in the development of a comprehensive emergency management plan.

(E) The school district or school administrator shall have final decision-making authority regarding all matters of school discipline.

Sec. 3314.102. (A) As used in this section:

~~(1) "Chief executive officer" means a chief executive officer appointed by an academic distress commission pursuant to section 3302.10 of the Revised Code.~~

~~(2) "Municipal~~, "municipal school district" and "mayor" have the same meanings as in section 3311.71 of the Revised Code.

(B) Notwithstanding section 3314.10 and sections 4117.03 to 4117.18 of the Revised Code and Section 4 of Amended Substitute Senate Bill No. 133 of the 115th general assembly, the employees of a conversion community school that is sponsored by the board of education of a municipal school district ~~or a school district for which an academic distress commission has been established under section 3302.10 of the Revised Code~~ shall cease to be subject to any future collective bargaining agreement, if the mayor ~~or chief executive officer~~ submits to the board of education sponsoring the school and to the state employment relations board a statement requesting that all employees of the community school be removed from a collective bargaining unit. The employees of the community school who are covered by a collective bargaining agreement in effect on the date the mayor ~~or chief executive officer~~ submits the statement shall remain subject to that collective bargaining agreement until the collective bargaining agreement expires on its terms. Upon expiration of that collective bargaining agreement, the employees of that school are not subject to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code and may not organize or collectively bargain pursuant to that chapter.

Section 2. That existing sections 133.06, 505.431, 3302.036, 3302.042, 3302.16, 3302.17, 3310.03, 3311.29, 3313.951, and 3314.102 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

Section 3. That sections 3302.10, 3302.103, 3302.11, 3302.111, and 3302.12 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

Section 4. That Sections 4, 5, and 6 of H.B. 70 of the 131st General Assembly are hereby repealed.

Section 5. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 3313.951 of the Revised Code as amended by this act, prior to the 2026-2027 school year, a chartered nonpublic school may engage the services of a school resource officer who does not meet the requirements in division (B) of that section or is not appointed under a memorandum of understanding under division (C) of that section.