(A) The expiration of the contract for a community school between a sponsor and a school shall be the date provided in the contract. A successor contract may be entered into pursuant to division (E) of section 3314.03 of the Revised Code unless the contract is terminated or not renewed pursuant to this section.

(B)

(1) A sponsor may choose not to renew a contract at its expiration or may choose to terminate a contract prior to its expiration for any of the following reasons:

(a) Failure to meet student performance requirements stated in the contract;

(b) Failure to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal management;

(c) Violation of any provision of the contract or applicable state or federal law;

(d) Other good cause.

(2) A sponsor may choose to terminate a contract prior to its expiration if the sponsor has suspended the operation of the contract under section 3314.072 of the Revised Code.

(3) Not later than the fifteenth day of January in the year in which the sponsor intends to terminate or take actions not to renew the community school's contract, the sponsor shall notify the school of the proposed action in writing. The notice shall include the reasons for the proposed action in detail, the effective date of the termination or nonrenewal, and a statement that the school may, within fourteen days of receiving the notice, request an informal hearing before the sponsor. Such request must be in writing. The informal hearing shall be held within fourteen days of the receipt of a request for the hearing. Not later than fourteen days after the informal hearing, the sponsor shall issue a written decision either affirming or rescinding the decision to terminate or not renew the contract.

(4)

The termination of a contract under this section shall be effective upon the occurrence of the later of the following events:

(a) The date the sponsor notifies the school of its decision to terminate the contract as prescribed in division (B)(3) of this section;

(b) If an informal hearing is requested under division (B)(3) of this section and as a result of that hearing the sponsor affirms its decision to terminate the contract, the effective date of the termination specified in the notice issued under division (B)(3) of this section .

(5) Any community school whose contract is terminated or not renewed under division (B) (l)(a) or (b) of this section shall close permanently at the end of the current school year or on a date specified in the notification of termination or nonrenewal under division (B)(3) of this section. Any community school whose contract is terminated or not renewed for failure to meet student performance requirements stated in the contract, or for failure to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal management under this division shall not enter into a contract with any other sponsor.

(C) A child attending a community school whose contract has been terminated, nonrenewed, or suspended or that closes for any reason shall be admitted to the schools of the district in which the child is entitled to attend under section 3313.64 or 3313.65 of the Revised Code. Any deadlines established for the purpose of admitting students under section 3313.97 or 3313.98 of the Revised Code shall be waived for students to whom this division pertains.

(D) If a community school does not intend to renew a contract with its sponsor, the community school shall notify its sponsor in writing of that fact at least one hundred eighty days prior to the expiration of the contract. Such a community school may enter into a contract with a new sponsor in accordance with section 3314.03 of the Revised Code upon the expiration of the previous contract.

(E) A sponsor of a community school and the officers, directors, or employees of such a sponsor are immune from civil liability for any action authorized under this chapter or the contract entered into with the school under section 3314.03 of the Revised Code that is taken to fulfill the sponsor's responsibility to oversee and monitor the school. The sponsor and its officers, directors, or employees are not liable in damages in a tort or other civil action for harm allegedly arising from any of the following:

(1) A failure of the community school or any of its officers, directors, or employees to perform any statutory or common law duty or responsibility or any other legal obligation;

(2) An action or omission of the community school or any of its officers, directors, or employees that results in harm.

(3) A failure of the community school or any of its officers, directors, or employees to meet the obligations of any contract or other obligation entered into on behalf of the community school and another party.

(F) As used in this section:

(1) "Harm" means injury, death, or loss to person or property.

(2) "Tort action" means a civil action for damages for injury, death, or loss to person or property other than a civil action for damages for a breach of contract or another agreement between persons.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 2, §1, eff. 2/1/2016.

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

Effective Date: 09-26-2003 .