To amend section 5705.21 of the Revised Code to authorize school districts to levy a property tax exclusively for school safety and security purposes.

Section 1. That section 5705.21 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 5705.21.  (A) At any time, the board of education of any city, local, exempted village, cooperative education, or joint vocational school district, by a vote of two-thirds of all its members, may declare by resolution that the amount of taxes which may be raised within the ten-mill limitation by levies on the current tax duplicate will be insufficient to provide an adequate amount for the necessary requirements of the school district, that it is necessary to levy a tax in excess of such limitation for one of the purposes specified in division (A), (D), (F), (H), or (DD) of section 5705.19 of the Revised Code, for general permanent improvements, for the purpose of operating a cultural center, for the purpose of providing for school safety and security, or for the purpose of providing education technology, and that the question of such additional tax levy shall be submitted to the electors of the school district at a special election on a day to be specified in the resolution. In the case of a qualifying library levy for the support of a library association or private corporation, the question shall be submitted to the electors of the association library district. If the resolution states that the levy is for the purpose of operating a cultural center, the ballot shall state that the levy is "for the purpose of operating the .......... (name of cultural center)."

As used in this division, "cultural center" means a freestanding building, separate from a public school building, that is open to the public for educational, musical, artistic, and cultural purposes; "education technology" means, but is not limited to, computer hardware, equipment, materials, and accessories, equipment used for two-way audio or video, and software; and "general permanent improvements" means permanent improvements without regard to the limitation of division (F) of section 5705.19 of the Revised Code that the improvements be a specific improvement or a class of improvements that may be included in a single bond issue.

A resolution adopted under this division shall be confined to a single purpose and shall specify the amount of the increase in rate that it is necessary to levy, the purpose of the levy, and the number of years during which the increase in rate shall be in effect. The number of years may be any number not exceeding five or, if the levy is for current expenses of the district or for general permanent improvements, for a continuing period of time.

(B)(1) The board of education of a municipal school district, by resolution, may declare that it is necessary to levy a tax in excess of the ten-mill limitation for the purpose of paying the current expenses of the district and of partnering community schools and that the question of the additional tax levy shall be submitted to the electors of the school district at a special election on a day to be specified in the resolution. The resolution shall state the purpose of the levy, the rate of the tax expressed in mills per dollar of taxable value, the number of such mills to be levied for the current expenses of the partnering community schools and the number of such mills to be levied for the current expenses of the school district, the number of years the tax will be levied, and the first year the tax will be levied. The number of years the tax may be levied may be any number not exceeding ten years, or for a continuing period of time.

The levy of a tax for the current expenses of a partnering community school under this section and the distribution of proceeds from the tax by a municipal school district to partnering community schools is hereby determined to be a proper public purpose.

(2) The form of the ballot at an election held pursuant to division (B) of this section shall be as follows:

"Shall a levy be imposed by the ......... (insert the name of the municipal school district) for the purpose of current expenses of the school district and of partnering community schools at a rate not exceeding ...... (insert the number of mills) mills for each one dollar of valuation (of which ...... (insert the number of mills to be allocated to partnering community schools) mills is to be allocated to partnering community schools), which amounts to ....... (insert the rate expressed in dollars and cents) for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for ...... (insert the number of years the levy is to be imposed, or that it will be levied for a continuing period of time), beginning ...... (insert first year the tax is to be levied), which will first be payable in calendar year ...... (insert the first calendar year in which the tax would be payable)?

(3) Upon each receipt of a tax distribution by the municipal school district, the board of education shall credit the portion allocated to partnering community schools to the partnering community schools fund. All income from the investment of money in the partnering community schools fund shall be credited to that fund.

Not more than forty-five days after the municipal school district receives and deposits each tax distribution, the board of education shall distribute the partnering community schools amount among the then qualifying community schools. From each tax distribution, each such partnering community school shall receive a portion of the partnering community schools amount in the proportion that the number of its resident students bears to the aggregate number of resident students of all such partnering community schools as of the date of receipt and deposit of the tax distribution. For the purposes of this division, the number of resident students shall be the number of such students reported under section 3317.03 of the Revised Code and established by the department of education as of the date of receipt and deposit of the tax distribution.

(4) To the extent an agreement whereby the municipal school district and a community school endorse each other's programs is necessary for the community school to qualify as a partnering community school under division (B)(6)(b) of this section, the board of education of the school district shall certify to the department of education the agreement along with the determination that such agreement satisfies the requirements of that division. The board's determination is conclusive.

(5) For the purposes of Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code or other laws referring to the "taxes charged and payable" for a school district, the taxes charged and payable for a municipal school district that levies a tax under division (B) of this section includes only the taxes charged and payable under that levy for the current expenses of the school district, and does not include the taxes charged and payable for the current expenses of partnering community schools. The taxes charged and payable for the current expenses of partnering community schools shall not affect the calculation of "state education aid" as defined in section 5751.20 of the Revised Code.

(6) As used in division (B) of this section:

(a) "Municipal school district" has the same meaning as in section 3311.71 of the Revised Code.

(b) "Partnering community school" means a community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code that is located within the territory of the municipal school district and that either is sponsored by the district or is a party to an agreement with the district whereby the district and the community school endorse each other's programs.

(c) "Partnering community schools amount" means the product obtained, as of the receipt and deposit of the tax distribution, by multiplying the amount of a tax distribution by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of mills per dollar of taxable value of the property tax to be allocated to partnering community schools, and the denominator of which is the total number of mills per dollar of taxable value authorized by the electors in the election held under division (B) of this section, each as set forth in the resolution levying the tax.

(d) "Partnering community schools fund" means a separate fund established by the board of education of a municipal school district for the deposit of partnering community school amounts under this section.

(e) "Resident student" means a student enrolled in a partnering community school who is entitled to attend school in the municipal school district under section 3313.64 or 3313.65 of the Revised Code.

(f) "Tax distribution" means a distribution of proceeds of the tax authorized by division (B) of this section under section 321.24 of the Revised Code and distributions that are attributable to that tax under sections 323.156 and 4503.068 of the Revised Code or other applicable law.

(C) A resolution adopted under this section shall specify the date of holding the election, which shall not be earlier than ninety days after the adoption and certification of the resolution and which shall be consistent with the requirements of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code.

A resolution adopted under this section may propose to renew one or more existing levies imposed under division (A) or (B) of this section or to increase or decrease a single levy imposed under either such division.

If the board of education imposes one or more existing levies for the purpose specified in division (F) of section 5705.19 of the Revised Code, the resolution may propose to renew one or more of those existing levies, or to increase or decrease a single such existing levy, for the purpose of general permanent improvements.

If the resolution proposes to renew two or more existing levies, the levies shall be levied for the same purpose. The resolution shall identify those levies and the rates at which they are levied. The resolution also shall specify that the existing levies shall not be extended on the tax lists after the year preceding the year in which the renewal levy is first imposed, regardless of the years for which those levies originally were authorized to be levied.

If the resolution proposes to renew an existing levy imposed under division (B) of this section, the rates allocated to the municipal school district and to partnering community schools each may be increased or decreased or remain the same, and the total rate may be increased, decreased, or remain the same. The resolution and notice of election shall specify the number of the mills to be levied for the current expenses of the partnering community schools and the number of the mills to be levied for the current expenses of the municipal school district.

A resolution adopted under this section shall go into immediate effect upon its passage, and no publication of the resolution shall be necessary other than that provided for in the notice of election. A copy of the resolution shall immediately after its passing be certified to the board of elections of the proper county in the manner provided by section 5705.25 of the Revised Code. That section shall govern the arrangements for the submission of such question and other matters concerning the election to which that section refers, including publication of notice of the election, except that the election shall be held on the date specified in the resolution. In the case of a resolution adopted under division (B) of this section, the publication of notice of that election shall state the number of the mills to be levied for the current expenses of partnering community schools and the number of the mills to be levied for the current expenses of the municipal school district. If a majority of the electors voting on the question so submitted in an election vote in favor of the levy, the board of education may make the necessary levy within the school district or, in the case of a qualifying library levy for the support of a library association or private corporation, within the association library district, at the additional rate, or at any lesser rate in excess of the ten-mill limitation on the tax list, for the purpose stated in the resolution. A levy for a continuing period of time may be reduced pursuant to section 5705.261 of the Revised Code. The tax levy shall be included in the next tax budget that is certified to the county budget commission.

(D)(1) After the approval of a levy on the current tax list and duplicate for current expenses, for recreational purposes, for community centers provided for in section 755.16 of the Revised Code, or for a public library of the district under division (A) of this section, and prior to the time when the first tax collection from the levy can be made, the board of education may anticipate a fraction of the proceeds of the levy and issue anticipation notes in a principal amount not exceeding fifty per cent of the total estimated proceeds of the levy to be collected during the first year of the levy.

(2) After the approval of a levy for general permanent improvements for a specified number of years or for permanent improvements having the purpose specified in division (F) of section 5705.19 of the Revised Code, the board of education may anticipate a fraction of the proceeds of the levy and issue anticipation notes in a principal amount not exceeding fifty per cent of the total estimated proceeds of the levy remaining to be collected in each year over a period of five years after the issuance of the notes.

The notes shall be issued as provided in section 133.24 of the Revised Code, shall have principal payments during each year after the year of their issuance over a period not to exceed five years, and may have a principal payment in the year of their issuance.

(3) After approval of a levy for general permanent improvements for a continuing period of time, the board of education may anticipate a fraction of the proceeds of the levy and issue anticipation notes in a principal amount not exceeding fifty per cent of the total estimated proceeds of the levy to be collected in each year over a specified period of years, not exceeding ten, after the issuance of the notes.

The notes shall be issued as provided in section 133.24 of the Revised Code, shall have principal payments during each year after the year of their issuance over a period not to exceed ten years, and may have a principal payment in the year of their issuance.

(4) After the approval of a levy on the current tax list and duplicate under division (B) of this section, and prior to the time when the first tax collection from the levy can be made, the board of education may anticipate a fraction of the proceeds of the levy for the current expenses of the school district and issue anticipation notes in a principal amount not exceeding fifty per cent of the estimated proceeds of the levy to be collected during the first year of the levy and allocated to the school district. The portion of the levy proceeds to be allocated to partnering community schools under that division shall not be included in the estimated proceeds anticipated under this division and shall not be used to pay debt charges on any anticipation notes.

The notes shall be issued as provided in section 133.24 of the Revised Code, shall have principal payments during each year after the year of their issuance over a period not to exceed five years, and may have a principal payment in the year of their issuance.

(E) The submission of questions to the electors under this section is subject to the limitation on the number of election dates established by section 5705.214 of the Revised Code.

Section 2. That existing section 5705.21 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.

Section 3.  Section 5705.21 of the Revised Code is presented in this act as a composite of the section as amended by both Sub. H.B. 525 and Am. S.B. 321 of the 129th General Assembly. The General Assembly, applying the principle stated in division (B) of section 1.52 of the Revised Code that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation, finds that the composite is the resulting version of the section in effect prior to the effective date of the section as presented in this act.