(A) A school district is not required to provide transportation for any native student enrolled in a community school if the district board of education has entered into an agreement with the community school’s governing authority that designates the community school as responsible for providing or arranging for the transportation of the district’s native students to and from the community school. For any such agreement to be effective, it must be certified by the director of education and workforce as having met all of the following requirements:

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(1) It is submitted to the department of education and workforce by a deadline which shall be established by the department.

(2) In accordance with divisions (C)(1) and (2) of this section, it specifies qualifications, such as residing a minimum distance from the school, for students to have their transportation provided or arranged.

(3) The transportation provided by the community school is subject to all provisions of the Revised Code and all rules adopted under the Revised Code pertaining to pupil transportation.

(4) The sponsor of the community school also has signed the agreement.

(B)(1) For the school year that begins on July 1, 2007, a school district is not required to provide transportation for any native student enrolled in a community school, if the community school during the previous school year transported the students enrolled in the school or arranged for the students’ transportation, even if that arrangement consisted of having parents transport their children to and from the school, but did not enter into an agreement to transport or arrange for transportation for those students under division (A) of this section, and if the governing authority of the community school by July 15, 2007, submits written notification to the district board of education stating that the governing authority is accepting responsibility for providing or arranging for the transportation of the district’s native students to and from the community school.

(2) Except as provided in division (B)(4) of this section, for any school year subsequent to the school year that begins on July 1, 2007, a school district is not required to provide transportation for any native student enrolled in a community school if the governing authority of the community school, by the first day of August, submits written notification to the district board of education stating that the governing authority is accepting responsibility for providing or arranging for the transportation of the district’s native students to and from the community school. If the governing authority of the community school has previously accepted responsibility for providing or arranging for the transportation of a district’s native students to and from the community school, under division (B)(1) or (2) of this section, and has since relinquished that responsibility under division (B)(3) of this section, the governing authority shall not accept that responsibility again unless the district board consents to the governing authority’s acceptance of that responsibility.

(3) A governing authority’s acceptance of responsibility under division (B)(1) or (2) of this section shall cover an entire school year, and shall remain in effect for subsequent school years unless the governing authority submits written notification to the district board that the governing authority is relinquishing the responsibility. However, a governing authority shall not relinquish responsibility for transportation before the end of a school year, and shall submit the notice relinquishing responsibility by the thirty-first day of January, in order to allow the school district reasonable time to prepare transportation for its native students enrolled in the school.

(4)(a) For any school year that begins on or after July 1, 2014, a school district is not required to provide transportation for any native student enrolled in a community school scheduled to open for operation in the current school year, if the governing authority of the community school, by the fifteenth day of April of the previous school year, submits written notification to the district board of education stating that the governing authority is accepting responsibility for providing or arranging for the transportation of the district’s native students to and from the community school.

(b) The governing authority of a community school that accepts responsibility for transporting its students under division (B)(4)(a) of this section shall comply with divisions (B)(2) and (3) of this section to renew or relinquish that authority for subsequent school years.

(C)(1) A community school governing authority that enters into an agreement under division (A) of this section, or that accepts responsibility under division (B) of this section, shall provide or arrange transportation free of any charge for each of its enrolled students who is required to be transported under section 3327.01 of the Revised Code. The governing authority shall report to the department of education and workforce the number of students transported or for whom transportation is arranged under this section in accordance with rules adopted by the department.

(2) The governing authority may provide or arrange transportation for any other enrolled student who is not eligible for transportation in accordance with division (C)(1) of this section and may charge a fee for such service up to the actual cost of the service.

(3) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in division (C)(1) or (2) of this section, a community school governing authority shall provide or arrange transportation free of any charge for any disabled student enrolled in the school for whom the student’s individualized education program developed under Chapter 3323 of the Revised Code specifies transportation.

(D) A community school shall use payments received under division (I) of section 3317.0212 of the Revised Code solely to pay the costs of providing or arranging for the transportation of students who are eligible as specified in section 3327.01 of the Revised Code and division (C)(1) of this section, which may include payments to a parent, guardian, or other person in charge of a child in lieu of transportation.

(E) Except when arranged through payment to a parent, guardian, or person in charge of a child, transportation provided or arranged for by a community school pursuant to an agreement under this section is subject to all provisions of the Revised Code, and all rules adopted under the Revised Code, pertaining to the construction, design, equipment, and operation of school buses and other vehicles transporting students to and from school. The drivers and mechanics of the vehicles are subject to all provisions of the Revised Code, and all rules adopted under the Revised Code, pertaining to drivers and mechanics of such vehicles. The community school also shall comply with sections 3313.201, 3327.09, and 3327.10 of the Revised Code, division (B) of section 3327.16 of the Revised Code and, subject to division (C)(1) of this section, sections 3327.01 and 3327.02 of the Revised Code, as if it were a school district.