By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The Bowling Green Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to acknowledge receipt of 12 petitions from rural landowners to secede to neighboring school districts.
Eleven petitions were turned into Bowling Green City Schools on March 9, with another one was added on March 16.
The petitions ask that property be moved to various school districts – four areas have petitioned to join Elmwood, three to join Patrick Henry, two to join Eastwood, two to Otsego, and one to McComb.
The petitions will now be turned over to the board of elections, which must certify signatures, and make sure there are enough valid signatures for the issue to appear on the ballot.
Then the issue goes back to the school board, which would pass another resolution to put the petitions on the August ballot.
Then it is up to all the registered voters in the petitioning areas to pass or fail the efforts.
“Everyone in the designated areas has the right to vote,” Bowling Green Superintendent Francis Scruci said.
However, it is unknown how the delay in Ohio’s primary election may affect this issue.
The Wood County Board of Elections is researching how to handle the petitions since this is the first such request made in the county.
The new controversial law – Ohio Revised Code 3311.242 – allows residents in certain townships to transfer to an adjoining school district if enough voters pass the measure on an election ballot.
The new law does not require officials to consider whether the transfer is in the best interest of the affected students. The previous law required the education of the students be considered.
Terry Burton, of the Wood County Board of Elections, said the petitions will be handled similarly to referendum petitions. The elections board must first determine if each petition is signed by at least 10% of the area’s qualified voters who participated in the last general election.
Burton said his office will be consulting with the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office on the steps from there.
It appears from the language in the Ohio Revised Code, that the boards of education and the township trustees have the ability to turn down the areas where the petitioners want to join.
If the issues make it on ballots, Bowling Green School District will be required to foot the bill for the special election.
“We will bear the full cost of putting that on the ballot,” Scruci said.
The petitions were circulated by Grant Chamberlain, Richard Chamberlain, Nolan Chamberlain, Dan Wilson, Brian Smith, Scott Apple, Devin Dauterman, Josh Nutter, Jennifer Adler and Jeff Avery.
The issue must move quickly for the petitioners to beat the proposed EdChoice bill, which in one form repeals the new section of the ORC that allows portions of school districts to exit for other districts.
