The state board of education shall adopt rules governing the purchasing and leasing of data processing services and equipment for all local, exempted village, city, and joint vocational school districts and all educational service centers. Such rules shall include provisions for the establishment of an Ohio education computer network under procedures, guidelines, and specifications of the department of education.

The department shall administer funds appropriated for the Ohio education computer network to ensure its efficient and economical operation and shall approve no more than twenty-seven information technology centers to operate concurrently. Such centers shall be approved for funding in accordance with rules of the state board adopted under this section that shall provide for the superintendent of public instruction to require the membership of each information technology center to be composed of combinations of school districts and educational service centers having sufficient students to support an efficient, economical comprehensive program of computer services to member districts and educational service centers. However, no such rule shall prohibit a school district or educational service center from receiving computer services from any information technology center established under this section or from any other public or private vendor. Each information technology center shall be organized in accordance with section 3313.92 or Chapter 167. of the Revised Code.

The department may approve and administer funding for programs to provide technical support, maintenance, consulting, and group purchasing services for information technology centers, school districts, educational service centers, and other client entities or governmental entities served in accordance with rules adopted by the department or as otherwise authorized by law, and to deliver to schools programs operated by the infOhio network and the technology solutions group of the management council of the Ohio education computer network.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 09-05-2001; 09-28-2006; 03-30-2007