(A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section and notwithstanding the provisions of sections 3313.48 and 3313.64 of the Revised Code, the board of education of a city, exempted village, or local school district shall not be required to furnish, free of charge, to the pupils attending the public schools any materials used in a course of instruction with the exception of the necessary textbooks or electronic textbooks required to be furnished without charge pursuant to section 3329.06 of the Revised Code. The board may, however, make provision by appropriations transferred from the general fund of the district or otherwise for furnishing free of charge any materials used in a course of instruction to such pupils as it determines are in serious financial need of such materials.

(B) No board of education of a school district shall charge a fee to a pupil who is eligible for a free lunch under the "National School Lunch Act," 60 Stat. 230 (1946), 42 U.S.C. 1751, as amended, and the "Child Nutrition Act of 1966," 80 Stat. 885, 42 U.S.C. 1771, as amended, for any materials needed to enable the pupil to participate fully in a course of instruction. The prohibition in this division against charging a fee does not apply to any fee charged for any of the following:

(1) Any materials needed to enable a pupil to participate fully in extracurricular activities or in any pupil enrichment program that is not a course of instruction;

(2) Any tools, equipment, and materials that are necessary for workforce-readiness training within a career-technical education program that, to the extent the tools, equipment, and materials are not consumed, may be retained by the student upon course completion.

(C) Boards of education may adopt rules and regulations prescribing each of the following:

(1) A schedule of fees for materials used in a course of instruction ;

(2) A schedule of charges which may be imposed upon pupils for the loss, damage, or destruction of school apparatus, equipment, musical instruments, library material, textbooks, or electronic textbooks required to be furnished without charge, and for damage to school buildings.

Except as provided in division (D) of this section, boards of education may enforce the payment of such fees and charges by withholding the grades and credits of the pupils concerned.

(D) No board of education shall withhold the grades, credits, official transcripts, diploma, IEPs, or 504 plans of a pupil for nonpayment of fees for materials used in a course of instruction imposed under division (C)(1) of this section, if a complaint has been filed at any time in a juvenile court alleging that the pupil is an abused, neglected, or dependent child or if the pupil has been adjudicated an abused, neglected, or dependent child.

A board shall require that the grades, credits, official transcripts, IEPs, or 504 plan of a pupil described in this division be transferred immediately upon the receipt of either another district's or school's request for those records under section 3313.672 of the Revised Code or a juvenile judge's order under section 2151.272 of the Revised Code.

A board that is required to transfer records under division (D) of this section may request a copy of any order regarding the child's custody or placement issued pursuant to a complaint filed under section 2151.27 of the Revised Code. However, a board shall not withhold records required to be transferred under that division pending receipt of a copy of the order.

(E) Each board of education annually shall report to the department of education the number of pupils for whom the board sends transcripts under division (D) of this section and the total amount of unpaid fees lost due to compliance with that division.

(F) As used in this section:

(1) "IEP" has the same meaning as in section 3323.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) "504 plan" means a plan based on an evaluation conducted in accordance with section 504 of the "Rehabilitation Act of 1973," 29 U.S.C. 794, as amended.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 34, HB 14, §1, eff. 10/11/2013.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

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

Effective Date: 05-25-1999 .