(A) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, a community school that meets the following conditions may operate from the facility in which the school was located in the 2008-2009 school year and shall not be required to locate to another school district:

(1) The school was located in the facility for at least the three school years prior to the 2009-2010 school year.

(2) The school's sponsor is a school district that is adjacent to the school district in which the school is located.

(3) The school's education program emphasizes serving students identified as gifted under Chapter 3324. of the Revised Code.

(4) The school has been rated in need of continuous improvement or higher under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for the previous three school years.

(B) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, a community school described in division (A) of this section may operate as a conversion school.

(C) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, in accordance with section 3314.03 of the Revised Code, the governing authority of a community school described in division (A) of this section may enter into a contract for the 2010-2011 school year and later with a different sponsor that is one of the following entities, provided the school was rated in need of continuous improvement or better under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for the 2008-2009 school year and the sponsor described in division (A)(2) of this section approves the change in sponsorship:

(1) The board of education of a city, exempted village, local, or joint vocational school district;

(2) The governing board of an educational service center;

(3) A sponsoring authority designated by the board of trustees of a state university listed in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code or the board of trustees itself.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.15, HB 290, §1, eff. 12/28/2010.

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