§ 5705.21 — Special election on additional school district levy

Ohio § 5705.21

• Jurisdiction: Ohio
• Title 57: Taxation
• Ch. 5705: Tax Levy Law

Text

(A) At any time, the board of education of any city, local, exempted village, cooperative education, or joint vocational school district, by a vote of two-thirds of all its members, may declare by resolution that the amount of taxes that may be raised within the ten-mill limitation by levies on the current tax list will be insufficient to provide an adequate amount for the necessary requirements of the school district, that it is necessary to levy a tax in excess of such limitation for one of the purposes specified in division (A), (D), (F), (H), or (DD) of section5705.19of the Revised Code, for general permanent improvements, for the purpose of operating a cultural center, for the purpose of providing for school safety and security, or for the purpose of providing education technology, and that the question of such additional tax levy shall be submitted to the electors of the school district at a special election on a day to be specified in the resolution. In the case of a qualifying library levy for the support of a library association or private corporation, the question shall be submitted to the electors of the association library district. If the resolution states that the levy is for the purpose of operating a cultural center, the ballot shall state that the levy is "for the purpose of operating the__________ (name of cultural center)."

As used in this division, "cultural center" means a freestanding building, separate from a public school building, that is open to the public for educational, musical, artistic, and cultural purposes; "education technology" means, but is not limited to, computer hardware, equipment, materials, and accessories, equipment used for two-way audio or video, and software; "general permanent improvements" means permanent improvements without regard to the limitation of division (F) of section5705.19of the Revised Code that the improvements be a specific improvement or a class of improvements that may be included in a single bond issue; and "providing for school safety and security" includes but is not limited to providing for permanent improvements to provide or enhance security, employment of or contracting for the services of safety personnel, providing mental health services and counseling, or providing training in safety and security practices and responses.

A resolution adopted under this division shall be confined to a single purpose and shall specify the amount of the increase in rate that it is necessary to levy, the purpose of the levy, and the number of years during which the increase in rate shall be in effect. The number of years may be any number not exceeding five or, if the levy is for current expenses of the district or for general permanent improvements, for a continuing period of time.

(B)(1) The board of education of a qualifying school district, by resolution, may declare that it is necessary to levy a tax in excess of the ten-mill limitation for the purpose of paying the current expenses of partnering community schools and, if any of the levy proceeds are so allocated, of the district. A qualifying school district that is not a municipal school district may allocate all of the levy proceeds to partnering community schools. A municipal school district shall allocate a portion of the levy proceeds to the current expenses of the district. The resolution shall declare that the question of the additional tax levy shall be submitted to the electors of the school district at a special election on a day to be specified in the resolution. The resolution shall state the purpose of the levy, the rate of the tax expressed in mills for each one dollar of taxable value, the number of such mills to be levied for the current expenses of the partnering community schools and the number of such mills, if any, to be levied for the current expenses of the school district, the number of years the tax will be levied, and the first year the tax will be levied. The number of years the tax may be levied may be any number not exceeding ten years, or for a continuing period of time.

The levy of a tax for the current expenses of a partnering community school under this section and the distribution of proceeds from the tax by a qualifying school district to partnering community schools is hereby determined to be a proper public purpose.

(2)(a) If any portion of the levy proceeds are to be allocated to the current expenses of the qualifying school district, the form of the ballot at an election held pursuant to division (B) of this section shall be as follows:

"Shall a levy be imposed by the_________ (insert the name of the qualifying school district) for the purpose of current expenses of the school district and of partnering community schools, that the county auditor estimates will collect $_____ annually, at a rate not exceeding______ mills for each $1 of taxable value, of which______ (insert the number of mills to be allocated to partnering community schools) mills is to be allocated to partnering community schools, which amounts to $_______ for each $100,000 of the county auditor's market value, for______ (insert the number of years the levy is to be imposed, or that it will be levied for a continuing period of time), beginning______ (insert first year the tax is to be levied), which will first be payable in calendar year______ (insert the first calendar year in which the tax would be payable)?

(b) If all of the levy proceeds are to be allocated to the current expenses of partnering community schools, the form of the ballot shall be as follows:

"Shall a levy be imposed by the_________ (insert the name of the qualifying school district) for the purpose of current expenses of partnering community schools, that the county auditor estimates will collect $_____ annually, at a rate not exceeding______ mills for each $1 of taxable value which amounts to $_______ for each $100,000 of the county auditor's market value, for______ (insert the number of years the levy is to be imposed, or that it will be levied for a continuing period of time), beginning______ (insert first year the tax is to be levied), which will first be payable in calendar year______ (insert the first calendar year in which the tax would be payable)?

(3) Upon each receipt of a tax distribution by the qualifying school district, the board of education shall credit the portion allocated to partnering community schools to the partnering community schools fund. All income from the investment of money in the partnering community schools fund shall be credited to that fund.

(a) If the qualifying school district is a municipal school district, the board of education shall distribute the partnering community schools amount among the then qualifying community schools not more than forty-five days after the school district receives and deposits each tax distribution. From each tax distribution, each such partnering community school shall receive a portion of the partnering community schools amount in the proportion that the number of its resident students bears to the aggregate number of resident students of all such partnering community schools as of the date of receipt and deposit of the tax distribution.

(b) If the qualifying school district is not a municipal school district, the board of education may distribute all or a portion of the amount in the partnering community schools fund during a fiscal year to partnering community schools on or before the first day of June of the preceding fiscal year. Each such partnering community school shall receive a portion of the amount distributed by the board from the partnering community schools fund during the fiscal year in the proportion that the number of its resident students bears to the aggregate number of resident students of all such partnering community schools as of the date the school district received and deposited the most recent tax distribution. On or before the fifteenth day of June of each fiscal year, the board of education shall announce an estimated allocation to partnering community schools for the ensuing fiscal year. The board is not required to allocate to partnering community schools the entire partnering community schools amount in the fiscal year in which a tax distribution is received and deposited in the partnering community schools fund. The estimated allocation shall be published on the web site of the school district and expressed as a dollar amount per resident student. The actual allocation to community schools in a fiscal year need not conform to the estimate published by the school district so long if the estimate was made in good faith.

Distributions by a school district under division (B)(3)(b) of this section shall be made in accordance with distribution agreements entered into by the board of education and each partnering community school eligible for distributions under this division. The distribution agreements shall be certified to the department of education each fiscal year before the thirtieth day of July. Each agreement shall provide for at least three distributions by the school district to the partnering community school during the fiscal year and shall require the initial distribution be made on or before the thirtieth day of July.

(c) For the purposes of division (B) of this section, the number of resident students shall be the number of such students reported under section3317.03of the Revised Code and established by the department of education as of the date of receipt and deposit of the tax distribution.

(4) To the extent an agreement whereby the qualifying school district and a community school endorse each other's programs is necessary for the community school to qualify as a partnering community school under division (B)(6)(b) of this section, the board of education of the school district shall certify to the department of education the agreement along with the determination that such agreement satisfies the requirements of that division. The board's determination is conclusive.

(5) For the purposes of Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code or other laws referring to the "taxes charged and payable" for a school district, the taxes charged and payable for a qualifying school district that levies a tax under division (B) of this section includes only the taxes charged and payable under that levy for the current expenses of the school district, and does not include the taxes charged and payable for the current expenses of partnering community schools. The taxes charged and payable for the current expenses of partnering community schools shall not affect the calculation of "state education aid" as defined in section5751.20of the Revised Code.

(6) As used in division (B) of this section:

(a) "Qualifying school district" means a municipal school district, as defined in section3311.71of the Revised Code or a school district that contains within its territory a partnering community school.

(b) "Partnering community school" means a community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code that is located within the territory of the qualifying school district and meets one of the following criteria:

(i) If the qualifying school district is a municipal school district, the community school is sponsored by the district or is a party to an agreement with the district whereby the district and the community school endorse each other's programs;

(ii) If the qualifying school district is not a municipal school district, the community school is sponsored by a sponsor that was rated as "exemplary" in the ratings most recently published under section3314.016of the Revised Code before the resolution proposing the levy is certified to the board of elections.

(c) "Partnering community schools amount" means the product obtained, as of the receipt and deposit of the tax distribution, by multiplying the amount of a tax distribution by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of mills per dollar of taxable value of the property tax to be allocated to partnering community schools, and the denominator of which is the total number of mills per dollar of taxable value authorized by the electors in the election held under division (B) of this section, each as set forth in the resolution levying the tax. If the resolution allocates all of the levy proceeds to partnering community schools, the "partnering schools amount" equals the amount of the tax distribution.

(d) "Partnering community schools fund" means a separate fund established by the board of education of a qualifying school district for the deposit of partnering community school amounts under this section.

(e) "Resident student" means a student enrolled in a partnering community school who is entitled to attend school in the qualifying school district under section3313.64or3313.65of the Revised Code.

(f) "Tax distribution" means a distribution of proceeds of the tax authorized by division (B) of this section under section321.24of the Revised Code and distributions that are attributable to that tax under sections323.156and4503.068of the Revised Code or other applicable law.

(C) A resolution adopted under this section shall specify the date of holding the election, which shall not be earlier than ninety days after the adoption and certification of the resolution and which shall be consistent with the requirements of section3501.01of the Revised Code.

A resolution adopted under this section may propose to renew one or more existing levies imposed under division (A) or (B) of this section or to decrease a single levy imposed under either such division.

If the board of education imposes one or more existing levies for the purpose specified in division (F) of section5705.19of the Revised Code, the resolution may propose to renew one or more of those existing levies, or to decrease a single such existing levy, for the purpose of general permanent improvements.

If the resolution proposes to renew two or more existing levies, the levies shall be levied for the same purpose. The resolution shall identify those levies and the rates at which they are levied. The resolution also shall specify that the existing levies shall not be extended on the tax lists after the year preceding the year in which the renewal levy is first imposed, regardless of the years for which those levies originally were authorized to be levied.

If the resolution proposes to renew an existing levy imposed under division (B) of this section, the rates allocated to the qualifying school district and to partnering community schools each may be increased or decreased or remain the same, and the total rate may be decreased or remain the same. The resolution and notice of election shall specify the number of the mills to be levied for the current expenses of the partnering community schools and the number of the mills, if any, to be levied for the current expenses of the qualifying school district.

A resolution adopted under this section shall go into immediate effect upon its passage, and no publication of the resolution shall be necessary other than that provided for in the notice of election. A copy of the resolution shall immediately after its passing be certified, along with the county auditor's certification provided under section5705.03of the Revised Code, to the board of elections of the proper county in the manner provided by section5705.25of the Revised Code. That section shall govern the arrangements for the submission of such question and other matters concerning the election to which that section refers, including publication of notice of the election, except that the election shall be held on the date specified in the resolution. In the case of a resolution adopted under division (B) of this section, the publication of notice of that election shall state the number of the mills, if any, to be levied for the current expenses of partnering community schools and the number of the mills to be levied for the current expenses of the qualifying school district. If a majority of the electors voting on the question so submitted in an election vote in favor of the levy, the board of education may make the necessary levy within the school district or, in the case of a qualifying library levy for the support of a library association or private corporation, within the association library district, at the additional rate, or at any lesser rate in excess of the ten-mill limitation on the tax list, for the purpose stated in the resolution. A levy for a continuing period of time may be reduced pursuant to section5705.261of the Revised Code. The tax levy shall be included in the next tax budget that is certified to the county budget commission.

(D)(1) After the approval of a levy on the current tax list and duplicate for current expenses, for recreational purposes, for community centers provided for in section755.16of the Revised Code, or for a public library of the district under division (A) of this section, and prior to the time when the first tax collection from the levy can be made, the board of education may anticipate a fraction of the proceeds of the levy and issue anticipation notes in a principal amount not exceeding fifty per cent of the total estimated proceeds of the levy to be collected during the first year of the levy.

(2) After the approval of a levy for general permanent improvements for a specified number of years or for permanent improvements having the purpose specified in division (F) of section5705.19of the Revised Code, the board of education may anticipate a fraction of the proceeds of the levy and issue anticipation notes in a principal amount not exceeding fifty per cent of the total estimated proceeds of the levy remaining to be collected in each year over a period of five years after the issuance of the notes.

The notes shall be issued as provided in section133.24of the Revised Code, shall have principal payments during each year after the year of their issuance over a period not to exceed five years, and may have a principal payment in the year of their issuance.

(3) After approval of a levy for general permanent improvements for a continuing period of time, the board of education may anticipate a fraction of the proceeds of the levy and issue anticipation notes in a principal amount not exceeding fifty per cent of the total estimated proceeds of the levy to be collected in each year over a specified period of years, not exceeding ten, after the issuance of the notes.

The notes shall be issued as provided in section133.24of the Revised Code, shall have principal payments during each year after the year of their issuance over a period not to exceed ten years, and may have a principal payment in the year of their issuance.

(4) After the approval of a levy on the current tax list and duplicate under division (B) of this section, and prior to the time when the first tax collection from the levy can be made, the board of education may anticipate a fraction of the proceeds of the levy for the current expenses of the school district and issue anticipation notes in a principal amount not exceeding fifty per cent of the estimated proceeds of the levy to be collected during the first year of the levy and allocated to the school district. The portion of the levy proceeds to be allocated to partnering community schools under that division shall not be included in the estimated proceeds anticipated under this division and shall not be used to pay debt charges on any anticipation notes.

The notes shall be issued as provided in section133.24of the Revised Code, shall have principal payments during each year after the year of their issuance over a period not to exceed five years, and may have a principal payment in the year of their issuance.

(E) The submission of questions to the electors under this section is subject to the limitation on the number of election dates established by section5705.214of the Revised Code.

(F) The board of education of any school district that levies a tax under this section for the purpose of providing for school safety and security may report to the department of education how the district is using revenue from that tax.

The board of education of any school district that proposes to levy a tax for the purpose of providing for school safety and security may share the proceeds of the tax with chartered nonpublic schools, as defined by section3310.01of the Revised Code, that are located in the territory of the school district as provided in this division. The resolution levying the tax and the form of the ballot shall state that proceeds from the levy are to be shared with chartered nonpublic schools and shall state the percentage of the proceeds that is to be shared with those schools.

If a percentage of the proceeds of such a tax are to be shared with chartered nonpublic schools under this division, such proceeds shall be shared with all chartered nonpublic schools located in the territory of the school district. Of the percentage of the proceeds to be shared with chartered nonpublic schools, each such school shall receive an amount that bears the same proportion of that percentage that the number of resident students attending that school bears to the total number of resident students attending all such schools in the territory of the school district. For the purposes of this section, a resident student is a student enrolled in a chartered nonpublic school located in the territory of the school district who is entitled to attend school in the school district under section3313.64or3313.65of the Revised Code.

All proceeds of the levy shall be credited to a fund of the school district created for that purpose, and the board of education shall pay each chartered nonpublic school its share of the proceeds from that fund not less frequently than once after each settlement of taxes under divisions (A) and (C) of section321.24of the Revised Code. Any chartered nonpublic school receiving payments under this section shall use all of such payments only for providing for school safety and security.

Last updated October 7, 2025 at 3:36 PM

Legislative History

Effective: January 1, 2026 | Latest Legislation: House Bill 96 - 136th General Assembly