The boards of education and governing boards of two or more city, local, joint vocational, or exempted village school districts or educational service centers may contract in accordance with the terms of this section for the sharing on a cooperative basis of the services of supervisory teachers, special instruction teachers, special education teachers, and other licensed personnel necessary to conduct approved cooperative classes for special education and related services and gifted education.

The boards of two or more districts or service centers desiring to enroll students in such classes shall each adopt resolutions indicating such desire and designating one of the participating districts or service centers as the funding agent for purposes of this section. The district or service center designated as the funding agent shall enter into an employment contract with each licensed teacher whose services are to be shared among the participating districts and service centers. In turn, the funding agent shall enter into contracts with each of the districts and service centers which have adopted resolutions agreeing to participate in the cooperative program upon terms agreed to by all parties to such contract. Such contracts between districts and service centers shall set forth the services to be provided by the licensed teacher employed by the funding agent whose services are to be shared by the participating districts and service centers and the basis for computing the amounts to be paid for such services to the funding agent by the participating districts and service centers.

For purposes of section 3317.0213 of the Revised Code, the funding agent shall count all pupils enrolled in cooperative programs for pupils with disabilities as pupils enrolled in such programs in the funding agent district. Upon receipt of payment for such programs, the funding agent district shall credit the account of districts participating in the cooperative program for the amounts due under contracts entered into under the terms of this section in proportion to the number of resident students enrolled in the cooperative program from each participating district and service center.

In determining the terms of the contract entered into by the funding agent district or service center and the participating districts and service centers, the superintendent of schools of each participating board of education and governing board shall serve as a committee which shall recommend such terms to such boards.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2013.

Effective Date: 07-01-1998; 2007 HB119 09-29-2007