Effective: September 29, 2013
Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly
(A) Within fifteen days after the date the state board of education issues an order under section 3313.487 of the Revised Code making a school district subject to this section, the district's board of education shall prepare a fiscal statement of expenses and expenditures for the remainder of the current fiscal year. The fiscal statement shall be submitted to the superintendent of public instruction and shall set forth all revenues to be received by the district during the remainder of the fiscal year and their sources, the expenses to be incurred by the district during the remainder of the fiscal year, the outstanding and unpaid expenses at the time the fiscal statement is prepared and the date or dates by which such expenses must be paid, and such other information as the superintendent requires to enable the superintendent to ensure that during the remainder of the fiscal year, the district will not incur any expenses that will further impair its ability to operate an instructional program that meets or exceeds the minimum standards of the state board of education and requirements of the Revised Code during the current and ensuing fiscal years with the revenue available to it from existing revenue sources. The fiscal statement shall be presented in such detail and form as the superintendent prescribes. Beginning the tenth day after the fiscal statement is submitted and for the remainder of the fiscal year, the board shall not make any expenditure of money, make any employment, purchase, or rental contract, give any order involving the expenditure of money, or increase any wage or salary schedule unless the superintendent of public instruction has approved the fiscal statement in writing and the expenditure, contract, order, or schedule has been approved in writing by the superintendent as being in conformity with the fiscal statement.
Any contract or expenditure made, order given, or schedule adopted or put into effect without the written approval of the superintendent of public instruction is void, and no warrant shall be issued in payment of any amount due thereon.
(B) A board of education subject to division (A) of this section shall prepare a fiscal statement of expenses and expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year. The fiscal statement shall be submitted to the superintendent of public instruction and shall set forth all revenues to be received by the district during such year and their source, the expenses to be incurred by the district during such year, the outstanding and unpaid expenses on the first day of such fiscal year, the date or dates by which such expenses must be paid, and such other information as the superintendent requires to enable the superintendent to ensure that during such year, the district will not incur any expenses that will further impair its ability to operate an instructional program that meets or exceeds the minimum standards of the state board of education and requirements of the Revised Code during such year with the revenue available to it from existing revenue sources. The fiscal statement shall be presented at the time and in such detail and form as the superintendent prescribes. During the fiscal year following the year in which a board of education first becomes subject to division (A) of this section it shall not make any expenditure of money, make any employment, purchase, or rental contract, give any order involving the expenditure of money, or increase any wage or salary schedule unless the superintendent of public instruction has approved the fiscal statement submitted under this division in writing and has approved the expenditure, contract, order, or schedule in writing as being in conformity with the fiscal statement.
Any contract or expenditure made, order given, or schedule adopted or put into effect without the written approval of the superintendent of public instruction is void, and no warrant shall be issued in payment of any amount due thereon.
(C) The state board of education shall examine any fiscal statement presented to and approved by the superintendent of public instruction under division (B) of this section and shall determine whether the data set forth in the fiscal statement are factual and based upon assumptions that in its judgment are reasonable expectations consistent with acceptable governmental budget and accounting practices. If the state board so determines and finds that the revenues and expenditures in the fiscal statement are in balance for the fiscal year and the fiscal statement will enable the district to operate during such year without interrupting its school calendar, it shall certify its determination and finding to the district at least thirty days prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, and the district shall thereupon cease to be subject to this section. If the state board does not make such a determination and finding, the board of education and school district are subject to this division and division (B) of this section in the ensuing fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter until the state board makes a determination, finding, and certification under this division.
(D) Any officer, employee, or other person who knowingly expends or authorizes the expenditure of any public funds or knowingly authorizes or executes any contract, order, or schedule contrary to division (A) or (B) of this section or who knowingly expends or authorizes the expenditure of any public funds on any such void contract, order, or schedule is jointly and severally liable in person and upon any official bond that the officer, employee, or other person has given to such school district to the extent of any payments on the void claim, not to exceed twenty thousand dollars. The attorney general at the written request of the superintendent of public instruction shall enforce this liability by civil action brought in any court of appropriate jurisdiction in the name of and on behalf of the school district.
(E) During each month that a board of education is subject to division (A), (B), or (C) of this section, the superintendent of public instruction shall submit a report to the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate on the financial condition of the school district. The report shall contain the date by which the superintendent anticipates the district will cease to be subject to such divisions, the district's plans for becoming exempt from such section, and such other information the superintendent determines appropriate or the speaker of the house of representatives or president of the senate requests.
In addition to the other reports required under this division, on the thirty-first day of each school district fiscal year following a fiscal year in which a school district first becomes subject to this section, the superintendent shall submit a written report to the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate. The report shall include recommendations to the general assembly for strengthening the financial condition of school districts based upon the experiences of the superintendent and the state board in exercising their powers under this section and sections 3313.483 and 3313.487 of the Revised Code.
(F) This section does not apply to a school district declared to be under a fiscal emergency pursuant to division (B) of section 3316.03 of the Revised Code.