Notwithstanding division (D) of section3311.19and division (D) of section3311.52of the Revised Code, the provisions of this section and sections3313.981to3313.983of the Revised Code that apply to a city school district do not apply to a joint vocational or cooperative education school district unless expressly specified.
(A) As used in this section and sections3313.981to3313.983of the Revised Code:
(1) "Parent" means either of the natural or adoptive parents of a student, except under the following conditions:
(a) When the marriage of the natural or adoptive parents of the student has been terminated by a divorce, dissolution of marriage, or annulment or the natural or adoptive parents of the student are living separate and apart under a legal separation decree and the court has issued an order allocating the parental rights and responsibilities with respect to the student, "parent" means the residential parent as designated by the court except that "parent" means either parent when the court issues a shared parenting decree.
(b) When a court has granted temporary or permanent custody of the student to an individual or agency other than either of the natural or adoptive parents of the student, "parent" means the legal custodian of the child.
(c) When a court has appointed a guardian for the student, "parent" means the guardian of the student.
(2) "Native student" means a student entitled under section3313.64or3313.65of the Revised Code to attend school in a district adopting a resolution under this section.
(3) "Adjacent district" means a city, exempted village, or local school district having territory that abuts the territory of a district adopting a resolution under this section.
(4) "Adjacent district student" means a student entitled under section3313.64or3313.65of the Revised Code to attend school in an adjacent district.
(5) "Adjacent district joint vocational student" means an adjacent district student who enrolls in a city, exempted village, or local school district pursuant to this section and who also enrolls in a joint vocational school district that does not contain the territory of the district for which that student is a native student and does contain the territory of the city, exempted village, or local district in which the student enrolls.
(6) "Poverty line" means the poverty line established by the director of the United States office of management and budget as revised by the secretary of health and human services in accordance with section 673(2) of the "Community Services Block Grant Act," 95 Stat. 1609, 42 U.S.C.A. 9902, as amended.
(7) "IEP" has the same meaning as in section3323.01of the Revised Code.
(8) "Other district" means a city, exempted village, or local school district having territory outside of the territory of a district adopting a resolution under this section.
(9) "Other district student" means a student entitled under section3313.64or3313.65of the Revised Code to attend school in an other district.
(10) "Other district joint vocational student" means a student who is enrolled in any city, exempted village, or local school district and who also enrolls in a joint vocational school district that does not contain the territory of the district for which that student is a native student in accordance with a policy adopted under section3313.983of the Revised Code.
(11) "Active duty member" means a member of the armed forces of the United States who is on full-time duty.
(12) "Armed forces" means the United States army, navy, air force, space force, marine corps, and coast guard.
(B)(1) Subject to division (I) of this section, the board of education of each city, local, and exempted village school district shall adopt a resolution establishing for the school district one of the following policies:
(a) A policy that entirely prohibits the enrollment of students from adjacent districts or other districts, other than students for whom tuition is paid in accordance with section3317.08of the Revised Code;
(b) A policy that permits enrollment of students from all adjacent districts in accordance with policy statements contained in the resolution;
(c) A policy that permits enrollment of students from all other districts in accordance with policy statements contained in the resolution.
(2) A policy permitting enrollment of students from adjacent or from other districts, as applicable, shall provide for all of the following:
(a) Application procedures, including deadlines for application and for notification of students and the superintendent of the applicable district whenever an adjacent or other district student's application is approved.
(b) Procedures for admitting adjacent or other district applicants free of any tuition obligation to the district's schools, including, but not limited to:
(i) The establishment of district capacity limits by grade level, school building, and education program;
(ii) A requirement that all native students wishing to be enrolled in the district will be enrolled and that any adjacent or other district students previously enrolled in the district shall receive preference over first-time applicants;
(iii) Procedures to ensure that an appropriate racial balance is maintained in the district schools.
(C) Except as provided in section3313.982of the Revised Code, the procedures for admitting adjacent or other district students, as applicable, shall not include:
(1) Any requirement of academic ability, or any level of athletic, artistic, or other extracurricular skills;
(2) Limitations on admitting applicants because of disability, except that a board may refuse to admit a student receiving services under Chapter 3323. of the Revised Code, if the services described in the student's IEP are not available in the district's schools;
(3) A requirement that the student be proficient in the English language;
(4) Rejection of any applicant because the student has been subject to disciplinary proceedings, except that if an applicant has been suspended or expelled by the student's district for ten consecutive days or more in the term for which admission is sought or in the term immediately preceding the term for which admission is sought, the procedures may include a provision denying admission of such applicant.
(D)(1) Each school board permitting only enrollment of adjacent district students shall provide information about the policy adopted under this section, including the application procedures and deadlines, to the superintendent and the board of education of each adjacent district and, upon request, to the parent of any adjacent district student.
(2) Each school board permitting enrollment of other district students shall provide information about the policy adopted under this section, including the application procedures and deadlines, upon request, to the board of education of any other school district or to the parent of any student anywhere in the state.
(E) Any school board shall accept all credits toward graduation earned in adjacent or other district schools by an adjacent or other district student or a native student.
(F)(1) No board of education may adopt a policy discouraging or prohibiting its native students from applying to enroll in the schools of an adjacent or any other district that has adopted a policy permitting such enrollment, except that a district may object to the enrollment of a native student in an adjacent or other district in order to maintain an appropriate racial balance.
(2) If a board objects to enrollment of native students under this division, any adjacent or other district shall refuse to enroll such native students unless tuition is paid for the students in accordance with section3317.08of the Revised Code. An adjacent or other district enrolling such students may not receive funding for those students in accordance with section3313.981of the Revised Code.
(G) The department of education and workforce shall monitor school districts to ensure compliance with this section and the districts' policies. The department may adopt rules requiring uniform application procedures, deadlines for application, notification procedures, and record-keeping requirements for all school boards that adopt policies permitting the enrollment of adjacent or other district students, as applicable. If the department adopts such rules, no school board shall adopt a policy that conflicts with those rules.
(H) A resolution adopted by a board of education under this section that entirely prohibits the enrollment of students from adjacent and from other school districts does not abrogate any agreement entered into under section3313.841or3313.92of the Revised Code or any contract entered into under section3313.90of the Revised Code between the board of education adopting the resolution and the board of education of any adjacent or other district or prohibit these boards of education from entering into any such agreement or contract.
(I) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section or section3313.981of the Revised Code, all of the following apply:
(1) A policy adopted by a city, exempted village, or local school district board of education under division (B)(1)(a) or (b) of this section shall permit any student who is not a native student of the district to enroll in the district if both of the following apply:
(a) The student's parent is an active duty member of the armed forces stationed in the state.
(b) The student's parent provides to the district a copy of the parent's official written order verifying the parent's status as an active duty member of the armed forces.
(2) In enrolling a student pursuant to division (I) of this section, a district shall comply with procedures prescribed under divisions (B)(2) and (C) of this section, except as provided in division (I)(6) of this section. In addition, the district shall not require tuition to be paid for the student's enrollment in the district.
(3) A student who, pursuant to this division, enrolls in a district that has adopted a policy under division (B)(1)(a) of this section and who is not a native student of that district shall, for the purposes of sections3313.981,3315.18,3317.03, and3318.011of the Revised Code, be considered as an "other district student" who enrolls in a district that has adopted a policy under division (B)(1)(c) of this section. Such student also shall receive transportation services under section3313.981of the Revised Code in the same manner as an "other district student."
(4) A student who, pursuant to this division, enrolls in a district that has adopted a policy under division (B)(1)(b) of this section and who is not a native student of the district or an adjacent district shall, nevertheless, be considered an "adjacent district student" for the purposes of sections3313.981,3315.18, and3317.03of the Revised Code.
(5) A student who, pursuant to this division, enrolls in a district that has adopted a policy under division (B)(1)(b) of this section and whose parent is subsequently discharged or released from active duty shall be permitted to attend school in that district and receive transportation services under section3313.981of the Revised Code in the same manner as an "other district student" for the remainder of the school year in which the parent is discharged or released from active duty. After the conclusion of that school year, that student shall not be eligible under this division, as long as the student does not have a parent on active duty.
(6) A school district that enrolls a student under division (I) of this section, or that enrolls a student described in division (I)(1) of this section under division (B)(1)(c) of this section, shall not require the student to comply with any application deadline established under division (B)(2) of this section.
(J) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or require the board of education of a city, exempted village, or local school district to exclude any native student of the district from enrolling in the district.
Last updated July 22, 2025 at 2:58 PM