Ohio Revised Code|Section 3313.37 | Powers regarding school buildings and facilities; educational service centers; acquisition of property and equipment.

                                                
(A)(1) The board of education of any city,  local, or exempted village school district may build, enlarge,  repair, and furnish the necessary schoolhouses, purchase or lease  sites therefor, or rights-of-way thereto, or purchase or lease  real estate to be used as playgrounds for children or rent  suitable schoolrooms, either within or without the district, and  provide the necessary apparatus and make all other necessary  provisions for the schools under its control. 
(2) A governing board of an educational service center may  acquire, lease or lease-purchase, or enter into a contract to  purchase, lease or lease-purchase, or sell real and personal  property and may construct, enlarge, repair, renovate, furnish, or  equip facilities, buildings, or structures for the educational  service center's purposes. The board may enter into loan  agreements, including mortgages, for the acquisition of such  property.
(3) A board of county commissioners may issue securities of  the county pursuant to Chapter 133. of the Revised Code for the  acquisition of real and personal property or for the construction,  enlargement, repair, or renovation of facilities, buildings, or  structures by an educational service center, but only if the  county has a contract with the educational service center whereby  the educational service center agrees to pay the county an amount  equal to the debt charges on the issued securities on or before  the date those charges fall due. For the purposes of this section,  "debt charges" and "securities" have the same meanings as in  section 133.01 of the Revised Code.
(B)(1) Boards of education of city, local, and exempted  village school districts may acquire land by gift or devise, by  purchase, or by appropriation. Lands purchased may be purchased  for cash, by installment payments, with or without a mortgage, by  entering into lease-purchase agreements, or by lease with an  option to purchase, provided that if the purchase price is to be  paid over a period of time, such payments shall not extend for a  period of more than five years. A special tax levy may be  authorized by the voters of the school district in accordance with  section 5705.21 of the Revised Code to provide a special fund to  meet the future time payments.
(2) For the purposes of section 5705.21 of the Revised Code,  acquisition of land under the provisions of this division shall be  considered a necessary requirement of the school district.
(3) Boards of education of city, local, and exempted village  school districts may acquire federal land at a discount by a  lease-purchase agreement for use as a site for the construction of  educational facilities or for other related purposes. External  administrative and other costs pertaining to the acquisition of  federal land at a discount may be paid from funds available to the  school district for operating purposes. Such boards of education  may also acquire federal land by lease-purchase agreements, by  negotiation, or otherwise.
(4) As used in this division:
(a) "Office equipment" includes but is not limited to  typewriters, copying and duplicating equipment, and computer and  data processing equipment.
(b) "Software for instructional purposes" includes computer  programs usable for computer assisted instruction, computer  managed instruction, drill and practice, and problem simulations.
A board of education or governing board of an educational  service center may acquire the necessary office equipment, and  computer hardware and software for instructional purposes, for the  schools under its control by purchase, by lease, by installment  payments, by entering into lease-purchase agreements, or by lease  with an option to purchase. In the case of a city, exempted  village, or local school district, if the purchase price is to be  paid over a period of time, the contract setting forth the terms  of such purchase shall be considered a continuing contract  pursuant to section 5705.41 of the Revised Code. Payments shall  not extend for a period of more than five years. Costs relating to  the acquisition of necessary apparatus may be paid from funds  available to the school district or educational service center for  operating purposes.
(5) A board of education or governing board of an educational  service center may acquire the necessary equipment for the  maintenance or physical upkeep of facilities and land under its  control by entering into lease-purchase agreements. If payments  under the lease-purchase agreement are to be made over a period of  time, the agreement shall be considered a continuing contract  pursuant to section 5705.41 of the Revised Code, and such payments  shall not extend for a period of more than five years.