Section 3313.411. Lease or sale of unused school facilities

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "College-preparatory boarding school" means a college-preparatory boarding school established under Chapter 3328. of the Revised Code.

(2) "Community school" means a community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code.

(3) "Unused school facilities" means any real property that has been used by a school district for school operations, including, but not limited to, academic instruction or administration, since July 1, 1998, but has not been used in that capacity for two years.

(B)

(1) Except as provided in sections 3313.412and 3313.413 of the Revised Code, on and after June 30, 2011, any school district board of education shall offer any unused school facilities it owns in its corporate capacity for lease or sale to the governing authorities of community schools, and the board of trustees of any college-preparatory boarding school, that are located within the territory of the district.

(2) At the same time that a district board makes the offer required under division (B)(1) of this section, the board also may, but shall not be required to, offer that property for sale or lease to the governing authorities of community schools with plans, stipulated in their contracts entered into under section 3314.03 of the Revised Code, either to relocate their operations to the territory of the district or to add facilities, as authorized by division (B)(3) or (4) of section 3314.05 of the Revised Code, to be located within the territory of the district.

(C)

(1) If, not later than sixty days after the district board makes the offer, only one qualified party offered the property under division (B) of this section notifies the district treasurer in writing of the intention to purchase the property, the district board shall sell the property to that party for the appraised fair market value of the property as determined in an appraisal of the property that is not more than one year old.

(2) If, not later than sixty days after the district board makes the offer, more than one qualified party offered the property under division (B) of this section notifies the district treasurer in writing of the intention to purchase the property, the board shall conduct a public auction in the manner required for auctions of district property under division (A) of section 3313.41 of the Revised Code. Only the parties offered the property under division (B) of this section that notify the district treasurer of the intention to purchase the property are eligible to bid at the auction. The district board is not obligated to accept any bid for the property that is lower than the appraised fair market value of the property as determined in an appraisal that is not more than one year old.

(3) If more than one qualified party offered the property under division (B) of this section notifies the district treasurer in writing of the intention to lease the property, the district board shall conduct a lottery to select from among those parties the one qualified party to which the district board shall lease the property.

(4) The lease price offered by a district board to a community school or college-preparatory boarding school under this section shall not be higher than the fair market value for such a leasehold as determined in an appraisal that is not more than one year old.

(5) If no qualified party offered the property under division (B) of this section accepts the offer to lease or buy the property within sixty days after the offer is made, the district board may offer the property to any other entity in accordance with divisions (A) to (F) of section 3313.41 of the Revised Code.

(D) Notwithstanding division (B) of this section, a school district board may renew any agreement it originally entered into prior to June 30, 2011, to lease real property to an entity other than a community school or college-preparatory boarding school. Nothing in this section shall affect the leasehold arrangements between the district board and that other entity.

(E)

(1) Except as provided in division (E)(2) of this section, the governing authority of a community school or the board of trustees of a college-preparatory boarding school shall not sell any property purchased under division (B) of this section within five years of purchasing that property.

(2) The governing authority or board of trustees may sell a property purchased under division (B) of this section within five years of the purchase, only if the governing authority or board of trustees sells or transfers that property to another entity described in that division.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.160, HB 532, §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. 6/30/2011.