Section 3318.08. Agreement with Ohio school facilities commission for construction and sale of project

Except in the case of a joint vocational school district that receives assistance under sections 3318.40 to 3318.45 of the Revised Code, if the requisite favorable vote on the election is obtained, or if the school district board has resolved to apply the proceeds of a property tax levy or the proceeds of an income tax, or a combination of proceeds from such taxes, as authorized in section 3318.052 of the Revised Code, the Ohio school facilities commission, upon certification to it of either the results of the election or the resolution under section 3318.052 of the Revised Code, shall enter into a written agreement with the school district board for the construction and sale of the project. In the case of a joint vocational school district that receives assistance under sections 3318.40 to 3318.45 of the Revised Code, if the school district board of education and the school district electors have satisfied the conditions prescribed in division (D)(1) of section 3318.41 of the Revised Code, the commission shall enter into an agreement with the school district board for the construction and sale of the project. In either case, the agreement shall include, but need not be limited to, the following provisions:

(A) The sale and issuance of bonds or notes in anticipation thereof, as soon as practicable after the execution of the agreement, in an amount equal to the school district's portion of the basic project cost, including any securities authorized under division (J) of section 133.06 of the Revised Code and dedicated by the school district board to payment of the district's portion of the basic project cost of the project; provided, that if at that time the county treasurer of each county in which the school district is located has not commenced the collection of taxes on the general duplicate of real and public utility property for the year in which the controlling board approved the project, the school district board shall authorize the issuance of a first installment of bond anticipation notes in an amount specified by the agreement, which amount shall not exceed an amount necessary to raise the net bonded indebtedness of the school district as of the date of the controlling board's approval to within five thousand dollars of the required level of indebtedness for the preceding year. In the event that a first installment of bond anticipation notes is issued, the school district board shall, as soon as practicable after the county treasurer of each county in which the school district is located has commenced the collection of taxes on the general duplicate of real and public utility property for the year in which the controlling board approved the project, authorize the issuance of a second and final installment of bond anticipation notes or a first and final issue of bonds.

The combined value of the first and second installment of bond anticipation notes or the value of the first and final issue of bonds shall be equal to the school district's portion of the basic project cost. The proceeds of any such bonds shall be used first to retire any bond anticipation notes. Otherwise, the proceeds of such bonds and of any bond anticipation notes, except the premium and accrued interest thereon, shall be deposited in the school district's project construction fund. In determining the amount of net bonded indebtedness for the purpose of fixing the amount of an issue of either bonds or bond anticipation notes, gross indebtedness shall be reduced by moneys in the bond retirement fund only to the extent of the moneys therein on the first day of the year preceding the year in which the controlling board approved the project. Should there be a decrease in the tax valuation of the school district so that the amount of indebtedness that can be incurred on the tax duplicates for the year in which the controlling board approved the project is less than the amount of the first installment of bond anticipation notes, there shall be paid from the school district's project construction fund to the school district's bond retirement fund to be applied against such notes an amount sufficient to cause the net bonded indebtedness of the school district, as of the first day of the year following the year in which the controlling board approved the project, to be within five thousand dollars of the required level of indebtedness for the year in which the controlling board approved the project. The maximum amount of indebtedness to be incurred by any school district board as its share of the cost of the project is either an amount that will cause its net bonded indebtedness, as of the first day of the year following the year in which the controlling board approved the project, to be within five thousand dollars of the required level of indebtedness, or an amount equal to the required percentage of the basic project costs, whichever is greater. All bonds and bond anticipation notes shall be issued in accordance with Chapter 133. of the Revised Code, and notes may be renewed as provided in section 133.22 of the Revised Code.

(B) The transfer of such funds of the school district board available for the project, together with the proceeds of the sale of the bonds or notes, except premium, accrued interest, and interest included in the amount of the issue, to the school district's project construction fund;

(C) For all school districts except joint vocational school districts that receive assistance under sections 3318.40 to 3318.45 of the Revised Code, the following provisions as applicable:

(1) If section 3318.052 of the Revised Code applies, the earmarking of the proceeds of a tax levied under section 5705.21 of the Revised Code for general permanent improvements or under section 5705.218 of the Revised Code for the purpose of permanent improvements, or the proceeds of a school district income tax levied under Chapter 5748. of the Revised Code, or the proceeds from a combination of those two taxes, in an amount to pay all or part of the service charges on bonds issued to pay the school district portion of the project and an amount equivalent to all or part of the tax required under division (B) of section 3318.05 of the Revised Code;

(2) If section 3318.052 of the Revised Code does not apply, one of the following:

(a) The levy of the tax authorized at the election for the payment of maintenance costs, as specified in division (B) of section 3318.05 of the Revised Code;

(b) If the school district electors have approved a continuing tax for general permanent improvements under section 5705.21 of the Revised Code and that tax can be used for maintenance, the earmarking of an amount of the proceeds from such tax for maintenance of classroom facilities as specified in division (B) of section 3318.05 of the Revised Code;

(c) If, in lieu of the tax otherwise required under division (B) of section 3318.05 of the Revised Code, the commission has approved the transfer of money to the maintenance fund in accordance with section 3318.051 of the Revised Code, a requirement that the district board comply with the provisions of that section. The district board may rescind the provision prescribed under division (C)(2)(c) of this section only so long as the electors of the district have approved, in accordance with section 3318.063 of the Revised Code, the levy of a tax for the maintenance of the classroom facilities acquired under the district's project and that levy continues to be collected as approved by the electors.

(D) For joint vocational school districts that receive assistance under sections 3318.40 to 3318.45 of the Revised Code, provision for deposit of school district moneys dedicated to maintenance of the classroom facilities acquired under those sections as prescribed in section 3318.43 of the Revised Code;

(E) Dedication of any local donated contribution as provided for under section 3318.084 of the Revised Code, including a schedule for depositing such moneys applied as an offset of the district's obligation to levy the tax described in division (B) of section 3318.05 of the Revised Code as required under division (D)(2) of section 3318.084 of the Revised Code;

(F) Ownership of or interest in the project during the period of construction, which shall be divided between the commission and the school district board in proportion to their respective contributions to the school district's project construction fund;

(G) Maintenance of the state's interest in the project until any obligations issued for the project under section 3318.26 of the Revised Code are no longer outstanding;

(H) The insurance of the project by the school district from the time there is an insurable interest therein and so long as the state retains any ownership or interest in the project pursuant to division (F) of this section, in such amounts and against such risks as the commission shall require; provided, that the cost of any required insurance until the project is completed shall be a part of the basic project cost;

(I) The certification by the director of budget and management that funds are available and have been set aside to meet the state's share of the basic project cost as approved by the controlling board pursuant to either section 3318.04 or division (B)(1) of section 3318.41 of the Revised Code;

(J) Authorization of the school district board to advertise for and receive construction bids for the project, for and on behalf of the commission, and to award contracts in the name of the state subject to approval by the commission;

(K) Provisions for the disbursement of moneys from the school district's project account upon issuance by the commission or the commission's designated representative of vouchers for work done to be certified to the commission by the treasurer of the school district board;

(L) Disposal of any balance left in the school district's project construction fund upon completion of the project;

(M) Limitations upon use of the project or any part of it so long as any obligations issued to finance the project under section 3318.26 of the Revised Code are outstanding;

(N) Provision for vesting the state's interest in the project to the school district board when the obligations issued to finance the project under section 3318.26 of the Revised Code are outstanding;

(O) Provision for deposit of an executed copy of the agreement in the office of the commission;

(P) Provision for termination of the contract and release of the funds encumbered at the time of the conditional approval, if the proceeds of the sale of the bonds of the school district board are not paid into the school district's project construction fund and if bids for the construction of the project have not been taken within such period after the execution of the agreement as may be fixed by the commission;

(Q) Provision for the school district to maintain the project in accordance with a plan approved by the commission;

(R) Provision that all state funds reserved and encumbered to pay the state share of the cost of the project and the funds provided by the school district to pay for its share of the project cost, including the respective shares of the cost of a segment if the project is divided into segments, be spent on the construction and acquisition of the project or segment simultaneously in proportion to the state's and the school district's respective shares of that basic project cost as determined under section 3318.032 of the Revised Code or, if the district is a joint vocational school district, under section 3318.42 of the Revised Code. However, if the school district certifies to the commission that expenditure by the school district is necessary to maintain the federal tax status or tax-exempt status of notes or bonds issued by the school district to pay for its share of the project cost or to comply with applicable temporary investment periods or spending exceptions to rebate as provided for under federal law in regard to those notes or bonds, the school district may commit to spend, or spend, a greater portion of the funds it provides during any specific period than would otherwise be required under this division.

(S) A provision stipulating that the commission may prohibit the district from proceeding with any project if the commission determines that the site is not suitable for construction purposes. The commission may perform soil tests in its determination of whether a site is appropriate for construction purposes.

(T) A provision stipulating that, unless otherwise authorized by the commission, any contingency reserve portion of the construction budget prescribed by the commission shall be used only to pay costs resulting from unforeseen job conditions, to comply with rulings regarding building and other codes, to pay costs related to design clarifications or corrections to contract documents, and to pay the costs of settlements or judgments related to the project as provided under section 3318.086 of the Revised Code;

(U) A provision stipulating that for continued release of project funds the school district board shall comply with sections 3313.41 and 3313.411 of the Revised Code throughout the project and shall notify the department of education and the Ohio community school association when the board plans to dispose of facilities by sale under that section;

(V) A provision stipulating that the commission shall not approve a contract for demolition of a facility until the school district board has complied with sections 3313.41 and 3313.411 of the Revised Code relative to that facility, unless demolition of that facility is to clear a site for construction of a replacement facility included in the district's project;

(W) A requirement for the school district to adhere to a facilities maintenance plan approved by the commission.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2013.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.127, HB 487, §101.01, eff. 9/10/2012.

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

Effective Date: 09-26-2003; 03-31-2005; 09-05-2006