The state board of education may adopt a resolution assigning a city, exempted village, or local school district that is not a part of a joint vocational school district to membership in a joint vocational school district. A copy of the resolution shall be certified to the board of education of the joint vocational school district and the board of education of the district proposed to be assigned. The board of education of the joint vocational school district shall advertise a copy of the resolution in a newspaper of general circulation in the district proposed to be assigned once each week for two weeks, or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code, immediately following the certification of the resolution to the board. The assignment shall take effect on the ninety-first day after the state board adopts the resolution, unless prior to that date qualified electors residing in the school district proposed for assignment, equal in number to ten per cent of the qualified electors of that district voting at the last general election, file a petition against the assignment.

The petition of referendum shall be filed with the treasurer of the board of education of the district proposed to be assigned to the joint vocational school district. The treasurer shall give the person presenting the petition a receipt showing the time of day, date, and purpose of the petition. The treasurer shall cause the board of elections to determine the sufficiency of signatures on the petition and if the signatures are found to be sufficient, shall present the petition to the board of education of the district. The board of education shall promptly certify the question to the board of elections for the purpose of having the question placed on the ballot at the next general, primary, or special election not earlier than sixty days after the date of the certification.

Only those qualified electors residing in the district proposed for assignment to the joint vocational school district are qualified to vote on the question. If a majority of the electors voting on the question vote against the assignment, it shall not take place, and the state board of education shall require the district to contract with the joint vocational school district or another school district as authorized by section 3313.91 of the Revised Code.

If a majority of the electors voting on the question do not vote against the assignment, the assignment shall take immediate effect, and the board of education of the joint vocational school district shall notify the county auditor of the county in which the school district becoming a part of the joint vocational school district is located to have any outstanding levy of the joint vocational school district spread over the territory of the school district that has become a part of the joint vocational school district.

The assignment of a school district to a joint vocational school district pursuant to this section is subject to any agreements made between the board of education of the assigned school district and the board of education of the joint vocational school district. Such an agreement may include provisions for a payment by the assigned school district to the joint vocational school district of an amount to be contributed toward the cost of the existing facilities of the joint vocational school district.

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

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

Effective Date: 07-01-1983 .