In response to an Ohio Supreme Court decision the Bowling Green City Schools Board of Education approved
a resolution allowing the petition for transfer of territory of Jamie Cook to be moved from the Nov. 3
election to the Aug. 4 special Election.
The board held a special meeting on Wednesday. Members immediately went into executive session for the
purpose of “conferences with the board’s attorney to discuss matters which are the subject of pending or
imminent court action then return to the special meeting.”
Back in regular session, the board unanimously passed a resolution certifying the election move.
“The Supreme Court did not find in our favor. So our attorney said you need to have an executive session.
Today was the day. We didn’t find out about this until yesterday, so we decided we better get it done.
They can’t say we held it up,” said school board president Ginny Stewart. “The resolution allowed the
last property to go on the ballot in August.”
Cook is from Custar.
“It’s the transfer of territory of Milton Township, in Wood County,” Stewart said.
The Ohio Supreme Court decided on Monday that the previously invalidated Cook petition, one of the
individuals petitioning to leave the Bowling Green City Schools District, will be on the special
election ballot Aug. 4.
As per the court decision, the petition will now move to the Wood County Board of Elections to be added
to the ballot.
The lawsuit, filed May 11, claimed the school district delayed approving the petition, which put it as
the only petition to be on the Nov. 3 ballot.
“Petition M” will now be included with six petitions, each of which cover separate parts of the school
district. If Petition M wins at the ballot box, it would then be up to Patrick Henry Local Schools to
decide to accept it as part of their district.
The Ohio Supreme Court also determined that the school district will be covering court costs.
Stewart said that the board had not yet received the bill.
The district will also have to cover costs for the election, the total of which will not be known until
after the election.
“It’s thousands. I will tell you it’s thousands,” Stewart said.