130th Ohio General Assembly
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S. B. No. 12  As Reported by the Senate Education Committee
As Reported by the Senate Education Committee

125th General Assembly
Regular Session
2003-2004
S. B. No. 12


Senators Randy Gardner, Robert Gardner, Harris, Mumper, Prentiss 



A BILL
To amend section 3314.02 of the Revised Code to remove the prohibition on establishing a conversion community school as an Internet- or computer-based community school.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That section 3314.02 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 3314.02.  (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) An urban school district.
(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, 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 provided via an internet- or other computer-based instructional method that does not rely on regular classroom instruction.
(B) Any person or group of individuals may initially propose under this division the conversion of all or a portion of a public school to a community school. No conversion community school shall be an internet- or computer-based community school. The proposal shall be made to the board of education of the city, local, or exempted village school district in which the public school is proposed to be converted. 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, indicating the intention of the board of education 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 of education. Provided the proposing person or group adheres to the preliminary agreement and all provisions of this chapter, the board of education 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.
(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.
Until July 1, 2005, any entity described in division (C)(1)(f) of this section may sponsor only schools that formerly were sponsored by the state board of education under division (C)(1)(d) of this section, as it existed prior to the effective date of this amendment April 8, 2003. After July 1, 2005, such entity may sponsor any new or existing 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 may continue in existence once the school district is no longer in a state of academic emergency or academic watch, 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 to a community school or establish the new start-up school. Up to the statewide limit prescribed in section 3314.013 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) 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 who are not owners or employees, or immediate relatives of owners or employees, of any for-profit firm that operates or manages a school for the governing authority.
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.
(F) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to permit the establishment of a community school in more than one school district under the same contract.
Section 2. That existing section 3314.02 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.
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