Section 3302.12. Schools performing poorly for three consecutive years

(A)

(1) Except as provided in divisions (C) and (D) of this section, this section applies to a school building that is ranked according to performance index score under section 3302.21 of the Revised Code in the lowest five per cent of public school buildings statewide for three consecutive years and that meets any combination of the following for three consecutive years:

(a) The school building is declared to be under an academic watch or in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code ;

(b) The school building that has received a grade of "F" for the value-added progress dimension under division (A)(1)(e), (B)(1)(e), or (C)(1)(e) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code;

(c) The school building that has received an overall grade of "F" under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code.

(2) In the case of a building to which this section applies, the district board of education in control of that building shall do one of the following at the conclusion of the school year in which the building first becomes subject to this section:

(a) Close the school and direct the district superintendent to reassign the students enrolled in the school to other school buildings that demonstrate higher academic achievement;

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

(c) Replace the principal and all teaching staff of the school and, upon request from the new principal, exempt the school from all requested policies and regulations of the board regarding curriculum and instruction. The board also shall distribute funding to the school in an amount that is at least equal to the product of the per pupil amount of state and local revenues received by the district multiplied by the student population of the school.

(d) Reopen the school as a conversion community school under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code.

(B) If an action taken by the board under division (A)(2) of this section causes the district to no longer maintain all grades kindergarten through twelve, as required by section 3311.29 of the Revised Code, the board shall enter into a contract with another school district pursuant to section 3327.04 of the Revised Code for enrollment of students in the schools of that other district to the extent necessary to comply with the requirement of section 3311.29 of the Revised Code. Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the contrary, if the board enters into and maintains a contract under section 3327.04 of the Revised Code, the district shall not be considered to have failed to comply with the requirement of section 3311.29 of the Revised Code. If, however, the district board fails to or is unable to enter into or maintain such a contract, the state board of education shall take all necessary actions to dissolve the district as provided in division (A) of section 3311.29 of the Revised Code.

(C) If a particular school is required to restructure under this section and a petition with respect to that same school has been filed and verified under divisions (B) and (C) of section 3302.042 of the Revised Code, the provisions of that section and the petition filed and verified under it shall prevail over the provisions of this section and the school shall be restructured under that section. However, if division (D)(1), (2), or (3) of section 3302.042 of the Revised Code also applies to the school, the school shall be subject to restructuring under this section and not section 3302.042 of the Revised Code.

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.

(D) If a school is restructured under this section, section 3302.042 or 3302.10 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.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.184, HB 555, §1, eff. 3/22/2013.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.128, SB 316, §101.01, eff. 9/24/2012.

Added by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.