Union Title Co. v. State Board of Education

555 N.E.2d 931, 51 Ohio St. 3d 189, 1990 Ohio LEXIS 246
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedJune 13, 1990
DocketNo. 89-632
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 555 N.E.2d 931 (Union Title Co. v. State Board of Education) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Union Title Co. v. State Board of Education, 555 N.E.2d 931, 51 Ohio St. 3d 189, 1990 Ohio LEXIS 246 (Ohio 1990).

Opinion

Holmes, J.

The sole issue presented in this case is whether an order issued by the State Board of Education disapproving the transfer of certain school district territory pursuant to R.C. 3311.06 may be appealed to the court of common pleas pursuant to R.C. 119.12. For the reasons which follow, we hold that such an order may be appealed.

Section 4, Article VI of the Ohio Constitution mandates the creation of a State Board of Education and requires the General Assembly to prescribe its powers and duties. One of the powers and duties of the State Board pursuant to the constitutional mandate is found in R.C. 3311.06, which relates to the transfer of school territory following municipal annexations. Further, R.C. 3301.13 provides that “[i]n the exercise of any of its functions or powers, including the power to make rules and regulations and to prescribe minimum standardsf,] the department of education, and any officer or agency therein” is subject to R.C. Chapter 119. And, R.C. 119.12 provides that “[a]ny party adversely affected by any order of an agency issued pursuant to any other adjudication may appeal to the court of common pleas of Franklin county.”2

Thus, it appears that an order of the State Board denying a transfer of certain school district territory under R.C. 3311.06 is appealable by a party adversely affected by that order. However, there are further considerations necessary when construing an administrative order, such as whether the order is quasi-judicial or quasi-legislative in character. In M.J. Kelley Co. v. Cleveland (1972), 32 Ohio St. 2d 150, 61 O.O. 2d 394, 290 N.E. 2d 562, paragraph one of the syllabus, this court held: “The review of proceedings [191]*191of administrative officers and agencies, authorized by Section 4(B), Article IV of the Ohio Constitution, contemplates quasi-judicial proceedings only, and administrative actions of administrative officers and agencies not resulting from quasi-judicial proceedings are not appealable to the Court of Common Pleas under provisions of R.C. 2506.01. (Fortner v. Thomas [1970], 22 Ohio St. 2d 13, approved and followed.)” Also, “[permitting appeal from a quasi-judicial proceeding is based on the premise that an adjudication has been made by the agency which determines the rights or duties of parties with conflicting interests — in other words, there is a justiciable dispute requiring evaluation and resolution. Implicit in this concept is the exercise of discretion.” Rossford Exempted Village School Dist. v. State Bd. of Edn. (1989), 45 Ohio St. 3d 356, 359, 544 N.E. 2d 651, 654.

In explaining the distinction between quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial proceedings, this court stated in Rankin-Thoman, Inc. v. Caldwell (1975), 42 Ohio St. 2d 436, 438, 71 O.O. 2d 411, 413, 329 N.E. 2d 686, 688, that “[q]uasi-judicial proceedings require notice, hearing and the opportunity for introduction of evidence. * * * Quasi-legislative proceedings do not. More frequently, however, courts have examined the nature of the proceedings themselves, to ascertain whether they involve the making or revising of rules, rather than the application of rules in an adjudicatory manner.” Similarly, in Donnelly v. Fairview Park (1968), 13 Ohio St. 2d 1, 42 O.O. 2d 1, 233 N.E. 2d 500, this court held, at paragraph one of the syllabus, that: “A public body essentially legislative in character may act in an administrative capacity.” In Donnelly, the appellants appealed the city of Fairview Park’s failure to accept a resubdivision proposal. The city claimed that its actions were legislative in nature and, therefore, non-appealable. This court disagreed by holding that the adoption or amendment of a zoning regulation or ordinance is a legislative act, but the failure or refusal to approve a resubdivision of land coming within the terms of a zoning regulation or ordinance already adopted and in existence is an administrative matter, and that an appeal from such failure or refusal to approve lies to the court of common pleas under R.C. Chapter 2506.

Also, in Donnelly, this court established a test for distinguishing between quasi-legislative and administrative actions taken by legislative bodies. “The test for determining whether the action of a legislative body is legislative or administrative is whether the action taken is one enacting a law, ordinance or regulation, or executing or administering a law, ordinance or regulation already in existence.” Id. at paragraph two of the syllabus. Thus, if the action of a legislative body creates a law, that action is legislative in character, but if the action of that body consists of executing an existing law, the action is adjudicatory (quasi-judicial)3 or administrative in [192]*192character. Id. at 4, 42 O.O. 2d at 3, 233 N.E. 2d at 502; Rankin-Thoman, Inc., supra.

In Bd. of Edn. v. State Bd. of Edn. (1976), 45 Ohio St. 2d 117, 120, 74 O.O. 2d 215, 217, 341 N.E. 2d 589, 592, this court held that former “R.C. 3311.06 gives the board no guides or standards to use in approving or disapproving the transfer of territory from one school district to another * * *. Therefore, the act of the board in approving a transfer of territory pursuant to R.C. 3311.06 is itself a legislative act. * * *” In interpreting Bd. of Edn., supra, this court later held that “[t]he act of the Ohio State Board of Education disapproving a transfer of territory pursuant to [former] R.C. 3311.06 is a legislative act, and, as such, is not appealable pursuant to R.C. 119.12.” Bd. of Edn. of Marion v. Bd. of Edn. of Elgin (1981), 66 Ohio St. 2d 152, 20 O.O. 3d 165, 420 N.E. 2d 990, syllabus; see, also, Rossford Exempted Village School Dist., supra, at 360, 544 N.E. 2d at 655.

Recently, the State Board promulgated4 Ohio Adm. Code 3301-89-01 through 3301-89-03 in order to provide a framework for the transfer of territory under R.C. 3311.06 and 3311.24. Ohio Adm. Code 3301-89-01(A). These administrative code provisions provide for notice, hearing and the exercise of discretion. Specifically, Ohio Adm. Code 3301-89-01(0) provides: “* * * In those situations where agreement does not exist, the state board of education will thoroughly examine the stated reasons for and against the requested transfer and provide due process to all parties involved as set forth in paragraph (E) of rule 3301-89-02 of the Administrative Code.” (Emphasis added.)

Ohio Adm. Code 3301-89-02 sets forth the procedures which must be employed to carry out a transfer of territory under R.C. 3311.06 and 3311.24. In particular, Ohio Adm. Code 3301-89-02(B) requires that each school district involved in a proposed transfer of territory provide answers to the following questions:

“(1) Why is the request being made?
“(2) Are there racial isolation implications?
“(a) What is the percentage of minority students in the relinquishing district?
“(b) What is the percentage of minority students in the acquiring district?
“(c) If approved, would the transfer result in an increase in the percentage of minority pupils in the relinquishing district?
“(3) What long-range educational planning for the students in the districts affected has taken place?

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Bluebook (online)
555 N.E.2d 931, 51 Ohio St. 3d 189, 1990 Ohio LEXIS 246, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/union-title-co-v-state-board-of-education-ohio-1990.