A cooperative education school district may be established pursuant to divisions (A) to (C) of this section or pursuant to section 3311.521 of the Revised Code.

(A) A cooperative education school district may be established upon the adoption of identical resolutions within a sixty-day period by a majority of the members of the board of education of each city, local, and exempted village school district that is within the territory of a county school financing district.

A copy of each resolution shall be filed with the governing board of the educational service center which created the county school financing district. Upon the filing of the last such resolution, the educational service center governing board shall immediately notify each board of education filing such a resolution of the date on which the last resolution was filed.

Ten days after the date on which the last resolution is filed with the educational service center governing board or ten days after the last of any notices required under division (C) of this section is received by the educational service center governing board, whichever is later, the county school financing district shall be dissolved and the new cooperative education school district and the board of education of the cooperative education school district shall be established.

On the date that any county school financing district is dissolved and a cooperative education school district is established under this section, each of the following shall apply:

(1) The territory of the dissolved district becomes the territory of the new district.

(2) Any outstanding tax levy in force in the dissolved district shall be spread over the territory of the new district and shall remain in force in the new district until the levy expires or is renewed.

(3) Any funds of the dissolved district shall be paid over in full to the new district.

(4) Any net indebtedness of the dissolved district shall be assumed in full by the new district. As used in division (A)(4) of this section, "net indebtedness" means the difference between the par value of the outstanding and unpaid bonds and notes of the dissolved district and the amount held in the sinking fund and other indebtedness retirement funds for their redemption.

When a county school financing district is dissolved and a cooperative education school district is established under this section, the governing board of the educational service center that created the dissolved district shall give written notice of this fact to the county auditor and the board of elections of each county having any territory in the new district.

(B) The resolutions adopted under division (A) of this section shall include all of the following provisions:

(1) Provision that the governing board of the educational service center which created the county school financing district shall be the board of education of the cooperative education school district, except that provision may be made for the composition, selection, and terms of office of an alternative board of education of the cooperative district, which board shall include at least one member selected from or by the members of the board of education of each city, local, and exempted village school district and at least one member selected from or by the members of the educational service center governing board within the territory of the cooperative district;

(2) Provision that the treasurer and superintendent of the educational service center which created the county school financing district shall be the treasurer and superintendent of the cooperative education school district, except that provision may be made for the selection of a treasurer or superintendent of the cooperative district other than the treasurer or superintendent of the educational service center, which provision shall require one of the following:

(a) The selection of one person as both the treasurer and superintendent of the cooperative district, which provision may require such person to be the treasurer or superintendent of any city, local, or exempted village school district or educational service center within the territory of the cooperative district;

(b) The selection of one person as the treasurer and another person as the superintendent of the cooperative district, which provision may require either one or both such persons to be treasurers or superintendents of any city, local, or exempted village school districts or educational service center within the territory of the cooperative district.

(3) A statement of the educational program the board of education of the cooperative education school district will conduct, including but not necessarily limited to the type of educational program, the grade levels proposed for inclusion in the program, the timetable for commencing operation of the program, and the facilities proposed to be used or constructed to be used by the program;

(4) A statement of the annual amount, or the method for determining that amount, of funds or services or facilities that each city, local, and exempted village school district within the territory of the cooperative district is required to pay to or provide for the use of the board of education of the cooperative education school district;

(5) Provision for adopting amendments to the provisions of divisions (B)(2) to (4) of this section.

(C) If the resolutions adopted under division (A) of this section provide for a board of education of the cooperative education school district that is not the governing board of the educational service center that created the county school financing district, each board of education of each city, local, or exempted village school district and the governing board of the educational service center within the territory of the cooperative district shall, within thirty days after the date on which the last resolution is filed with the educational service center governing board under division (A) of this section, select one or more members of the board of education of the cooperative district as provided in the resolutions filed with the educational service center governing board. Each such board shall immediately notify the educational service center governing board of each such selection.

(D) Except for the powers and duties in this chapter and Chapters 124., 3317., 3318., 3323., and 3331. of the Revised Code, a cooperative education school district established pursuant to divisions (A) to (C) of this section or pursuant to section 3311.521 of the Revised Code has all the powers of a city school district and its board of education has all the powers and duties of a board of education of a city school district with respect to the educational program specified in the resolutions adopted under division (A) of this section. All laws applicable to a city school district or the board of education or the members of the board of education of a city school district, except such laws in this chapter and Chapters 124., 3317., 3318., 3323., and 3331. of the Revised Code, are applicable to a cooperative education school district and its board.

The treasurer and superintendent of a cooperative education school district shall have the same respective duties and powers as a treasurer and superintendent of a city school district, except for any powers and duties in this chapter and Chapters 124., 3317., 3318., 3323., and 3331. of the Revised Code.

(E) For purposes of this title, any student included in the formula ADM calculated for any city, exempted village, or local school district under section 3317.03 of the Revised Code by virtue of being counted, in whole or in part, in the enrollment of a cooperative education school district under division (A)(2)(f) of that section shall be construed to be enrolled both in that city, exempted village, or local school district and in that cooperative education school district. This division shall not be construed to mean that any such individual student may be counted more than once for purposes of determining the formula ADM of any one school district.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §120.10, eff. 7/1/2014.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 6/30/2011.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 7/17/2009.

Effective Date: 07-01-1998 .