Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3319.11 – Continuing service status - limited contract - notice of intent not to re-employ

(A) As used in this section:
1. (1) "Evaluation procedures" means the procedures required by the policy adopted pursuant to division (A) of section 3319.111 of the Revised Code.
2. (2) "Limited contract" means a limited contract, as described in section 3319.08 of the Revised Code, that a school district board of education or governing board of an educational service center enters into with a teacher who is not eligible for continuing service status.
3. (3) "Extended limited contract" means a limited contract, as described in section 3319.08 of the Revised Code, that a board of education or governing board enters into with a teacher who is eligible for continuing service status.
(B) Teachers eligible for continuing service status in any city, exempted village, local, or joint vocational school district or educational service center shall be those teachers qualified as described in division (D) of section 3319.08 of the Revised Code, who within the last five years have taught for at least three years in the district or center, and those teachers who, having attained continuing contract status elsewhere, have served two years in the district or center, but the board, upon the recommendation of the superintendent, may at the time of employment or at any time within such two-year period, declare any of the latter teachers eligible.
1. (1) Upon the recommendation of the superintendent that a teacher eligible for continuing service status be reemployed, a continuing contract shall be entered into between the board and the teacher unless the board by a three-fourths vote of its full membership rejects the recommendation of the superintendent. If the board rejects by a three-fourths vote of its full membership the recommendation of the superintendent that a teacher eligible for continuing service status be reemployed and the superintendent makes no recommendation to the board pursuant to division (C) of this section, the board may declare its intention not to reemploy the teacher by giving the teacher written notice on or before the first day of June of its intention not to reemploy the teacher. If evaluation procedures have not been complied with pursuant to section 3319.111 of the Revised Code or the board does not give the teacher written notice on or before the first day of June of its intention not to reemploy the teacher, the teacher is deemed reemployed under an extended limited contract for a term not to exceed one year at the same salary plus any increment provided by the salary schedule. The teacher is presumed to have accepted employment under the extended limited contract for a term not to exceed one year unless such teacher notifies the board in writing to the contrary on or before the fifteenth day of June, and an extended limited contract for a term not to exceed one year shall be executed accordingly. Upon any subsequent reemployment of the teacher only a continuing contract may be entered into.
2. (2) If the superintendent recommends that a teacher eligible for continuing service status not be reemployed, the board may declare its intention not to reemploy the teacher by giving the teacher written notice on or before the first day of June of its intention not to reemploy the teacher. If evaluation procedures have not been complied with pursuant to section 3319.111 of the Revised Code or the board does not give the teacher written notice on or before the first day of June of its intention not to reemploy the teacher, the teacher is deemed reemployed under an extended limited contract for a term not to exceed one year at the same salary plus any increment provided by the salary schedule. The teacher is presumed to have accepted employment under the extended limited contract for a term not to exceed one year unless such teacher notifies the board in writing to the contrary on or before the fifteenth day of June, and an extended limited contract for a term not to exceed one year shall be executed accordingly. Upon any subsequent reemployment of a teacher only a continuing contract may be entered into.
3. (3) Any teacher receiving written notice of the intention of a board not to reemploy such teacher pursuant to this division is entitled to the hearing provisions of division (G) of this section.
(C)
1. (1) If a board rejects the recommendation of the superintendent for reemployment of a teacher pursuant to division (B)(1) of this section, the superintendent may recommend reemployment of the teacher, if continuing service status has not previously been attained elsewhere, under an extended limited contract for a term not to exceed two years, provided that written notice of the superintendent's intention to make such recommendation has been given to the teacher with reasons directed at the professional improvement of the teacher on or before the first day of June. Upon subsequent reemployment of the teacher only a continuing contract may be entered into.
2. (2) If a board of education takes affirmative action on a superintendent's recommendation, made pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section, of an extended limited contract for a term not to exceed two years but the board does not give the teacher written notice of its affirmative action on the superintendent's recommendation of an extended limited contract on or before the first day of June, the teacher is deemed reemployed under a continuing contract at the same salary plus any increment provided by the salary schedule. The teacher is presumed to have accepted employment under such continuing contract unless such teacher notifies the board in writing to the contrary on or before the fifteenth day of June, and a continuing contract shall be executed accordingly.
3. (3) A board shall not reject a superintendent's recommendation, made pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section, of an extended limited contract for a term not to exceed two years except by a three-fourths vote of its full membership. If a board rejects by a three-fourths vote of its full membership the recommendation of the superintendent of an extended limited contract for a term not to exceed two years, the board may declare its intention not to reemploy the teacher by giving the teacher written notice on or before the first day of June of its intention not to reemploy the teacher. If evaluation procedures have not been complied with pursuant to section 3319.111 of the Revised Code or if the board does not give the teacher written notice on or before the first day of June of its intention not to reemploy the teacher, the teacher is deemed reemployed under an extended limited contract for a term not to exceed one year at the same salary plus any increment provided by the salary schedule. The teacher is presumed to have accepted employment under the extended limited contract for a term not to exceed one year unless such teacher notifies the board in writing to the contrary on or before the fifteenth day of June, and an extended limited contract for a term not to exceed one year shall be executed accordingly. Upon any subsequent reemployment of the teacher only a continuing contract may be entered into. Any teacher receiving written notice of the intention of a board not to reemploy such teacher pursuant to this division is entitled to the hearing provisions of division (G) of this section.
(D) A teacher eligible for continuing contract status employed under an extended limited contract pursuant to division (B) or (C) of this section, is, at the expiration of such extended limited contract, deemed reemployed under a continuing contract at the same salary plus any increment granted by the salary schedule, unless evaluation procedures have been complied with pursuant to section 3319.111 of the Revised Code and the employing board, acting on the superintendent's recommendation that the teacher not be reemployed, gives the teacher written notice on or before the first day of June of its intention not to reemploy such teacher. A teacher who does not have evaluation procedures applied in compliance with section 3319.111 of the Revised Code or who does not receive notice on or before the first day of June of the intention of the board not to reemploy such teacher is presumed to have accepted employment under a continuing contract unless such teacher notifies the board in writing to the contrary on or before the fifteenth day of June, and a continuing contract shall be executed accordingly. Any teacher receiving a written notice of the intention of a board not to reemploy such teacher pursuant to this division is entitled to the hearing provisions of division (G) of this section.
(E) The board shall enter into a limited contract with each teacher employed by the board who is not eligible to be considered for a continuing contract. Any teacher employed under a limited contract, and not eligible to be considered for a continuing contract, is, at the expiration of such limited contract, considered reemployed under the provisions of this division at the same salary plus any increment provided by the salary schedule unless evaluation procedures have been complied with pursuant to section 3319.111 of the Revised Code and the employing board, acting upon the superintendent's written recommendation that the teacher not be reemployed, gives such teacher written notice of its intention not to reemploy such teacher on or before the first day of June. A teacher who does not have evaluation procedures applied in compliance with section 3319.111 of the Revised Code or who does not receive notice of the intention of the board not to reemploy such teacher on or before the first day of June is presumed to have accepted such employment unless such teacher notifies the board in writing to the contrary on or before the fifteenth day of June, and a written contract for the succeeding school year shall be executed accordingly. Any teacher receiving a written notice of the intention of a board not to reemploy such teacher pursuant to this division is entitled to the hearing provisions of division (G) of this section.
(F) The failure of a superintendent to make a recommendation to the board under any of the conditions set forth in divisions (B) to (E) of this section, or the failure of the board to give such teacher a written notice pursuant to divisions (C) to (E) of this section shall not prejudice or prevent a teacher from being deemed reemployed under either a limited or continuing contract as the case may be under the provisions of this section. A failure of the parties to execute a written contract shall not void any automatic reemployment provisions of this section.
(G)
1. (1) Any teacher receiving written notice of the intention of a board of education not to reemploy such teacher pursuant to division (B), (C)(3), (D), or (E) of this section may, within ten days of the date of receipt of the notice, file with the treasurer of the board a written demand for a written statement describing the circumstances that led to the board's intention not to reemploy the teacher.
2. (2) The treasurer of a board, on behalf of the board, shall, within ten days of the date of receipt of a written demand for a written statement pursuant to division (G)(1) of this section, provide to the teacher a written statement describing the circumstances that led to the board's intention not to reemploy the teacher.
3. (3) Any teacher receiving a written statement describing the circumstances that led to the board's intention not to reemploy the teacher pursuant to division (G)(2) of this section may, within five days of the date of receipt of the statement, file with the treasurer of the board a written demand for a hearing before the board pursuant to divisions (G)(4) to (6) of this section.
4. (4) The treasurer of a board, on behalf of the board, shall, within ten days of the date of receipt of a written demand for a hearing pursuant to division (G)(3) of this section, provide to the teacher a written notice setting forth the time, date, and place of the hearing. The board shall schedule and conclude the hearing within forty days of the date on which the treasurer of the board receives a written demand for a hearing pursuant to division (G)(3) of this section.
5. (5) Any hearing conducted pursuant to this division shall be conducted by a majority of the members of the board. The hearing shall be held in executive session of the board unless the board and the teacher agree to hold the hearing in public. The superintendent, assistant superintendent, the teacher, and any person designated by either party to take a record of the hearing may be present at the hearing. The board may be represented by counsel and the teacher may be represented by counsel or a designee. A record of the hearing may be taken by either party at the expense of the party taking the record.
6. (6) Within ten days of the conclusion of a hearing conducted pursuant to this division, the board shall issue to the teacher a written decision containing an order affirming the intention of the board not to reemploy the teacher reported in the notice given to the teacher pursuant to division (B), (C)(3), (D), or (E) of this section or an order vacating the intention not to reemploy and expunging any record of the intention, notice of the intention, and the hearing conducted pursuant to this division.
7. (7) A teacher may appeal an order affirming the intention of the board not to reemploy the teacher to the court of common pleas of the county in which the largest portion of the territory of the school district or service center is located, within thirty days of the date on which the teacher receives the written decision, on the grounds that the board has not complied with this section or section 3319.111 of the Revised Code. Notwithstanding section 2506.04 of the Revised Code, the court in an appeal under this division is limited to the determination of procedural errors and to ordering the correction of procedural errors and shall have no jurisdiction to order a board to reemploy a teacher, except that the court may order a board to reemploy a teacher in compliance with the requirements of division (B), (C)(3), (D), or (E) of this section when the court determines that evaluation procedures have not been complied with pursuant to section 3319.111 of the Revised Code or the board has not given the teacher written notice on or before the first day of June of its intention not to reemploy the teacher pursuant to division (B), (C)(3), (D), or (E) of this section. Otherwise, the determination whether to reemploy or not reemploy a teacher is solely a board's determination and not a proper subject of judicial review and, except as provided in this division, no decision of a board whether to reemploy or not reemploy a teacher shall be invalidated by the court on any basis, including that the decision was not warranted by the results of any evaluation or was not warranted by any statement given pursuant to division (G)(2) of this section. No appeal of an order of a board may be made except as specified in this division.
(H)
1. (1) In giving a teacher any notice required by division (B), (C), (D), or (E) of this section, the board or the superintendent shall do either of the following:
  1. (a) Deliver the notice by personal service upon the teacher;
  2. (b) Deliver the notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the teacher at the teacher's place of employment and deliver a copy of the notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the teacher at the teacher's place of residence.
2. (2) In giving a board any notice required by division (B), (C), (D), or (E) of this section, the teacher shall do either of the following:
  1. (a) Deliver the notice by personal delivery to the office of the superintendent during regular business hours;
  2. (b) Deliver the notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the office of the superintendent and deliver a copy of the notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the president of the board at the president's place of residence.
3. (3) When any notice and copy of the notice are mailed pursuant to division (H)(1)(b) or (2)(b) of this section, the notice or copy of the notice with the earlier date of receipt shall constitute the notice for the purposes of division (B), (C), (D), or (E) of this section.
(I) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any supplemental written contracts entered into pursuant to section 3319.08 of the Revised Code.
(J) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, the dates set forth in this section as "on or before the first day of June" or "on or before the fifteenth day of June" prevail over any conflicting provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into on or after the effective date of this amendment.