Section 3311.24. Transfer of city, exempted village or local school district territory to adjoining district

(A)

(1) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, the board of education of a city, exempted village, or local school district shall file with the state board of education a proposal to transfer territory from such district to an adjoining city, exempted village, or local school district in any of the following circumstances:

(a) The district board deems the transfer advisable and, if the portion of the district proposed to be transferred is five acres or more, the board has obtained written consent to the transfer from seventy-five per cent of the owners of parcels of real property on the tax duplicate within that portion of the district;

(b) A petition, signed by seventy-five per cent of the qualified electors residing within that portion of a city, exempted village, or local school district proposed to be transferred voting at the last general election, requests such a transfer;

(c) If no qualified electors reside in that portion of the district proposed to be transferred, a petition, signed by seventy-five per cent of the owners of parcels of real property on the tax duplicate within that portion of the district, requests such a transfer.

(2) The board of education of the district in which such proposal originates shall file such proposal, together with a map showing the boundaries of the territory proposed to be transferred, with the state board of education prior to the first day of April in any even-numbered year. The state board of education may, if it is advisable, provide for a hearing in any suitable place in any of the school districts affected by such proposed transfer of territory. The state board of education or its representatives shall preside at any such hearing.

(3) A board of education of a city, exempted village, or local school district that receives a petition of transfer signed by electors of the district under division (A)(1)(b) of this section shall cause the board of elections to check the sufficiency of signatures on the petition. A board of education of a city, exempted village, or local school district that receives written consent or a petition of transfer signed by owners of parcels of real property under division (A)(1)(a) or (c) of this section shall cause the county auditor to check the sufficiency of signatures on the consent or petition.

(4) Not later than the first day of September the state board of education shall either approve or disapprove a proposed transfer of territory filed with it as provided by this section and shall notify, in writing, the boards of education of the districts affected by such proposed transfer of territory of its decision.

If the decision of the state board of education is an approval of the proposed transfer of territory then the board of education of the district in which the territory is located shall, within thirty days after receiving the state board of education's decision, adopt a resolution transferring the territory and shall forthwith submit a copy of such resolution to the treasurer of the board of education of the city, exempted village, or local school district to which the territory is transferred. Such transfer shall not be complete however, until:

(a) A resolution accepting the transfer has been passed by a majority vote of the full membership of the board of education of the city, exempted village, or local school district to which the territory is transferred;

(b) Subject to section 3311.241 of the Revised Code, if applicable, an equitable division of the funds and indebtedness between the districts involved has been made by the board of education making the transfer;

(c) A map showing the boundaries of the territory transferred has been filed, by the board of education accepting the transfer, with the county auditor of each county affected by the transfer.

When such transfer is complete the legal title of the school property in the territory transferred shall be vested in the board of education or governing board of the school district to which the territory is transferred.

(B) Whenever the transfer of territory pursuant to this section is initiated by a board of education, the board shall, before filing a proposal for transfer with the state board of education under this section, make a good faith effort to negotiate the terms of transfer with any other school district whose territory would be affected by the transfer. Before the state board may hold a hearing on the transfer, or approve or disapprove any such transfer, it must receive the following:

(1) A resolution requesting approval of the transfer passed by the school district submitting the proposal and, if applicable, evidence of the consent of affected property owners to the transfer;

(2) Evidence determined to be sufficient by the state board to show that good faith negotiations have taken place or that the district requesting the transfer has made a good faith effort to hold such negotiations;

(3) If any negotiations took place, a statement signed by all boards that participated in the negotiations, listing the terms agreed on and the points on which no agreement could be reached.

Negotiations held pursuant to this section shall be governed by the rules adopted by the state board under division (D) of section 3311.06 of the Revised Code. Districts involved in a transfer under division (B) of this section may agree to share revenues from the property included in the territory to be transferred, establish cooperative programs between the participating districts, and establish mechanisms for the settlement of any future boundary disputes.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 487, §1, eff. 9/17/2014.

Effective Date: 09-26-2003; 2007 HB119 09-29-2007; 2008 HB562 09-22-2008