2023 Oregon Revised Statutes › Volume : 09 - Education and Culture › Chapter 328 - Local Financing of Education › Section 328.346 - Recovery from school districts of payments on school bonds by State Treasurer.

(1)(a) If one or more payments on school bonds are made by the State Treasurer as provided in ORS 328.341, the State Treasurer shall pursue recovery from the school district of all moneys necessary to reimburse the state for all amounts paid by the treasurer to the paying agent, as well as interest, penalties and any additional costs incurred by the treasurer as described in this section. In seeking recovery, the State Treasurer may:
(A) Intercept any payments from the General Fund, the State School Fund, the income of the Common School Fund and any other source of operating moneys provided by or through the state to the school district that issued the school bonds that would otherwise be paid to the school district by the state;
(B) Exercise the rights of a secured creditor in any moneys or assets pledged by the school district to secure the district’s reimbursement obligation to the state; and
(C) Apply any intercepted payments and pledged moneys or assets to reimburse the state for payments made pursuant to the state guaranty until all obligations of the school district to the state arising from those payments, including interest and penalties, and any additional costs incurred by the treasurer as described in this section are paid in full.
(b) The state has no obligation to the school district or to any person or entity to replace any moneys or assets intercepted or pledged under authority of this section.
(c) The authority of the State Treasurer to intercept payments and the lien in any pledged moneys under this subsection have priority over all claims against money provided by the state to a school district, including a claim that is based on a funds diversion agreement under ORS 238.698. A funds diversion agreement under ORS 238.698 has priority over all other claims against money provided by the state to a school district.
(2) The school district that issued school bonds for which the state has made all or part of a debt service payment shall:
(a) Reimburse all moneys drawn or paid by the State Treasurer on its behalf;
(b) Pay interest to the state on all moneys paid by the state from the date the moneys were drawn to the date they are repaid at a rate to be determined by the State Treasurer, in the State Treasurer’s discretion, to be sufficient to cover the costs of funds to the state plus the costs of administration of the state guaranty obligation and of collection of reimbursement; and
(c) Pay any applicable penalties as described in subsection (3) of this section.
(3)(a) The State Treasurer shall establish the reimbursement interest rate after considering the circumstances of any prior draws by the school district on the state, market interest and penalty rates and the cost of funds, if any, that were required to be used or borrowed by the state to make payment on the school bonds. The State Treasurer shall have authority to establish, by negotiations with the school district or otherwise, any plan of reimbursement by the school district that will result in full and complete reimbursement to the state. Subject to the requirement for full and complete reimbursement, the State Treasurer may consider incorporating into the reimbursement plan the means and methods to allow the school district to continue its operations during the time the reimbursement plan is in effect.
(b) The State Treasurer may, after considering the circumstances giving rise to the failure of the school district to make payment on its school bonds in a timely manner, impose on the school district a penalty of not more than five percent of the amount paid by the state pursuant to the state guaranty for each instance in which a payment by the state is made.
(4)(a) If the State Treasurer determines that amounts obtained under this section will not reimburse the state in full within the time determined by the State Treasurer or incorporated in the reimbursement plan from the state’s payment of a school district’s debt service payment, the State Treasurer shall pursue any legal action, including but not limited to mandamus, against the school district or school district board to compel the school district to:
(A) Levy and provide property tax revenues to pay debt service on its school bonds and other obligations when due; and
(B) Meet its repayment obligations to the state.
(b) With respect to any school bonds for which the State Treasurer has made payment under the state guaranty, and in addition to any other rights or remedies available at law or in equity, the state shall have the same substantive and procedural rights as would a holder of the school bonds of a school district.
(c) The Attorney General shall assist the State Treasurer in the discharge of the duties under this section.
(d) The school district shall pay the attorney fees, expenses and costs of the State Treasurer and the Attorney General.
(5)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this subsection, any school district whose funds were intercepted or otherwise paid to the State Treasurer under this section may replace those funds from other school district moneys or from ad valorem property taxes, subject to the limitations provided in this subsection.
(b) A school district may use ad valorem property taxes or other moneys to replace intercepted funds or other funds paid to the State Treasurer only if the ad valorem property taxes or other moneys were derived from:
(A) Taxes originally levied to make the payment, but which were not timely received by the school district;
(B) Taxes from a special levy imposed to make up the missed payment or to replace the intercepted funds or funds otherwise paid to the State Treasurer;
(C) Moneys transferred from any lawfully available funds of the school district or the undistributed reserves, if any, of the school district; or
(D) Any other source of moneys on hand and legally available.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection, a school district may not replace operating funds intercepted by the state or otherwise paid to the State Treasurer with moneys collected and held to make payments on school bonds if that replacement would divert moneys from the payment of future debt service on the school bonds and increase the risk that the state guaranty would be called upon a second time. [1997 c.614 §7; 1999 c.251 §6; 2007 c.783 §40; 2013 c.722 §77]
Note:
See note under 328.321.