The state board of education may conduct studies where there is evidence of need for consolidation of contiguous local, exempted village, or city school districts or parts of such districts. The possibility of making improvements in school district organization as well as the desires of the residents of the affected districts shall be given consideration in such studies and in any recommendations growing out of such studies.

After the adoption of recommendations growing out of any such study, the state board may proceed as follows:

Propose by resolution the creation of a new school district which may consist of all or a part of the territory of two or more contiguous local, exempted village, or city school districts, or any combination of such districts.

The state board shall thereupon file a copy of such proposal with the board of education of each school district whose boundaries would be altered by the proposal and with the governing board of any educational service center in which such school district is located.

The state board may, not less than thirty days following the adoption of the resolution proposing the creation of a new school district certify the proposal to the board of elections of the county or counties in which any of the territory of the proposed district is located, for the purpose of having the proposal placed on the ballot at the next general or primary election occurring not less than ninety days after the certification of such resolution.

If any proposal has been previously initiated pursuant to section 3311.22, 3311.231, or 3311.26 of the Revised Code which affects any of the territory affected by the proposal of the state board, the proposal of the state board shall not be placed on the ballot while the previously initiated proposal is subject to an election.

Upon certification of a proposal to the board of elections of any county pursuant to this section, the board of elections of such county shall make the necessary arrangements for the submission of such question to the electors of the county qualified to vote thereon, and the election shall be counted and canvassed and the results shall be certified in the same manner as in regular elections for the election of members of a board of education.

The electors qualified to vote upon a proposal are the electors residing in the local, exempted village, or city school districts, or parts thereof included in the proposed new school district. If a majority of those voting on the proposal vote in favor thereof, the state board shall create the proposed school district prior to the next succeeding July 1.

Upon the creation of such district, the indebtedness of each former district becoming in its entirety a part of the new district shall be assumed in full by the new district. Upon the creation of such district, the net indebtedness of each original district of which only a part is taken by the new district shall be apportioned between the new district and the original district in the ratio which the assessed valuation of the part taken by the new district bears to the assessed valuation of the original district as of the effective date of the creation of the new district. As used in this section "net indebtedness" means the difference between the par value of the outstanding and unpaid bonds and notes of the school district and the amount held in the sinking fund and other indebtedness retirement funds for their redemption.

Upon the creation of such district, the funds of each former district becoming in its entirety a part of the new district shall be paid over in full to the new district. Upon the creation of such district the funds of each former district of which only a part is taken by the new district shall be apportioned equitably by the state board between the new district and that part of the original district not included in the new district as such funds existed on the effective date of the creation of the new district.

When the new district consists of territory lying in two or more counties, the state board shall determine to which educational service center the new district shall be assigned.

When a new local school district is so created, the state board shall appoint five electors residing in the district to be the members of the board of education of such district, and such members shall hold office until their successors are elected and qualified. A board of education of such district shall be elected by the electors of the district at the next general election held in an odd numbered year which occurs not less than one hundred five days after the appointment of the initial members of the board. At such election two members shall be elected for a term of two years and three members shall be elected for a term of four years, and thereafter their successors shall be elected in the same manner and for the same terms as members of the board of education of a local school district.

When a new city school district is created, the state board shall determine the number of members which will comprise the board of education of the school district, which number shall not conflict with the number set forth in section 3313.02 of the Revised Code. The state board shall then appoint a like number of persons to be members of the board of education of such district, and said members shall hold office until their successors are elected and qualified. A board of education of such district shall be elected by the electors of the district at the next general election held in an odd numbered year which occurs not less than one hundred five days after the appointment of the initial members of the board. At such election if the number of members of the board is even, one-half of the number shall be elected for two years and one-half for four years. If the number of members of the board is odd, one-half the number less one-half shall be elected for two years and the remaining number shall be elected for four years, and thereafter their successors shall be elected in the manner provided in section 3313.08 of the Revised Code.

Foundation program moneys accruing to a district created under this section shall not be less, in any year during the next succeeding three years following the creation, than the sum of the amounts received by the districts separately in the year in which the creation of the district became effective.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.29, HB 48, §1, eff. 7/2/2010.

Effective Date: 09-29-1995 .