Bill Text: AZ SB1323 | 2015 | Fifty-second Legislature 1st Regular | Introduced
Bill Title: School districts; partnerships; school facilities
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-03 - Referred to Senate RULES Committee [SB1323 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2015-SB1323-Introduced.html
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REFERENCE TITLE: school districts; partnerships; school facilities |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-second Legislature First Regular Session 2015
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SB 1323 |
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Introduced by Senators Miranda, Begay, Dalessandro; Representative Cardenas: Senators Contreras, Farley; Representative Saldate
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AN ACT
amending sections 15‑342 and 15-2041, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to school district governing boards.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 15-342, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
15-342. Discretionary powers
The governing board may:
1. Expel pupils for misconduct.
2. Exclude from grades one through eight children under six years of age.
3. Make such separation of groups of pupils as it deems advisable.
4. Maintain such special schools during vacation as deemed necessary for the benefit of the pupils of the school district.
5. Permit a superintendent or principal or representatives of the superintendent or principal to travel for a school purpose, as determined by a majority vote of the board. The board may permit members and members‑elect of the board to travel within or without the school district for a school purpose and receive reimbursement. Any expenditure for travel and subsistence pursuant to this paragraph shall be as provided in title 38, chapter 4, article 2. The designated post of duty referred to in section 38‑621 shall be construed, for school district governing board members, to be the member's actual place of residence, as opposed to the school district office or the school district boundaries. Such expenditures shall be a charge against the budgeted school district funds. The governing board of a school district shall prescribe procedures and amounts for reimbursement of lodging and subsistence expenses. Reimbursement amounts shall not exceed the maximum amounts established pursuant to section 38‑624, subsection C.
6. Construct or provide in rural districts housing facilities for teachers and other school employees that the board determines are necessary for the operation of the school.
7. Sell or lease to the state, a county, a city, another school district or a tribal government agency any school property required for a public purpose, provided the sale or lease of the property will not affect the normal operations of a school within the school district.
8. Annually budget and expend funds for membership in an association of school districts within this state.
9. Enter into leases or lease‑purchase agreements for school buildings or grounds, or both, as lessor or as lessee, for periods of less than ten years subject to voter approval for construction of school buildings as prescribed in section 15‑341, subsection A, paragraph 7.
10. Subject to chapter 16 of this title, sell school sites or enter into leases or lease‑purchase agreements for school buildings and grounds, as lessor or as lessee, for a period of ten years or more, but not to exceed ninety‑nine years, if authorized by a vote of the school district electors in an election called by the governing board as provided in section 15‑491, except that authorization by the school district electors in an election is not required if one of the following requirements is met:
(a) The market value of the school property is less than fifty thousand dollars or the property is procured through a renewable energy development agreement, an energy performance contract, which among other items includes a renewable energy power service agreement, or a simplified energy performance contract pursuant to section 15‑213.01.
(b) The buildings and sites are completely funded with monies distributed by the school facilities board.
(c) The transaction involves the sale of improved or unimproved property pursuant to an agreement with the school facilities board in which the school district agrees to sell the improved or unimproved property and transfer the proceeds of the sale to the school facilities board in exchange for monies from the school facilities board for the acquisition of a more suitable school site. For a sale of property acquired by a school district prior to July 9, 1998, a school district shall transfer to the school facilities board that portion of the proceeds that equals the cost of the acquisition of a more suitable school site. If there are any remaining proceeds after the transfer of monies to the school facilities board, a school district shall only use those remaining proceeds for future land purchases approved by the school facilities board, or for capital improvements not funded by the school facilities board for any existing or future facility.
(d) The transaction involves the sale of improved or unimproved property pursuant to a formally adopted plan and the school district uses the proceeds of this sale to purchase other property that will be used for similar purposes as the property that was originally sold, provided that the sale proceeds of the improved or unimproved property are used within two years after the date of the original sale to purchase the replacement property. If the sale proceeds of the improved or unimproved property are not used within two years after the date of the original sale to purchase replacement property, the sale proceeds shall be used towards payment of any outstanding bonded indebtedness. If any sale proceeds remain after paying for outstanding bonded indebtedness, or if the district has no outstanding bonded indebtedness, sale proceeds shall be used to reduce the district's primary tax levy. A school district shall not use this subdivision unless all of the following conditions exist:
(i) The school district is the sole owner of the improved or unimproved property that the school district intends to sell.
(ii) The school district did not purchase the improved or unimproved property that the school district intends to sell with monies that were distributed pursuant to chapter 16 of this title.
(iii) The transaction does not violate section 15‑341, subsection G.
11. Review the decision of a teacher to promote a pupil to a grade or retain a pupil in a grade in a common school or to pass or fail a pupil in a course in high school. The pupil has the burden of proof to overturn the decision of a teacher to promote, retain, pass or fail the pupil. In order to sustain the burden of proof, the pupil shall demonstrate to the governing board that the pupil has mastered the academic standards adopted by the state board of education pursuant to sections 15‑701 and 15‑701.01. If the governing board overturns the decision of a teacher pursuant to this paragraph, the governing board shall adopt a written finding that the pupil has mastered the academic standards. Notwithstanding title 38, chapter 3, article 3.1, the governing board shall review the decision of a teacher to promote a pupil to a grade or retain a pupil in a grade in a common school or to pass or fail a pupil in a course in high school in executive session unless a parent or legal guardian of the pupil or the pupil, if emancipated, disagrees that the review should be conducted in executive session and then the review shall be conducted in an open meeting. If the review is conducted in executive session, the board shall notify the teacher of the date, time and place of the review and shall allow the teacher to be present at the review. If the teacher is not present at the review, the board shall consult with the teacher before making its decision. Any request, including the written request as provided in section 15‑341, the written evidence presented at the review and the written record of the review, including the decision of the governing board to accept or reject the teacher's decision, shall be retained by the governing board as part of its permanent records.
12. Provide transportation or site transportation loading and unloading areas for any child or children if deemed for the best interest of the district, whether within or without the district, county or state.
13. Enter into intergovernmental agreements and contracts with school districts or other governing bodies as provided in section 11‑952. Intergovernmental agreements and contracts between school districts or between a school district and other governing bodies as provided in section 11‑952 are exempt from competitive bidding under the procurement rules adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section 15‑213.
14. Include in the curricula it prescribes for high schools in the school district career and technical education, vocational education and technology education programs and career and technical, vocational and technology program improvement services for the high schools, subject to approval by the state board of education. The governing board may contract for the provision of career and technical, vocational and technology education as provided in section 15‑789.
15. Suspend a teacher or administrator from the teacher's or administrator's duties without pay for a period of time of not to exceed ten school days, if the board determines that suspension is warranted pursuant to section 15‑341, subsection A, paragraphs 21 and 22.
16. Dedicate school property within an incorporated city or town to such city or town or within a county to that county for use as a public right‑of‑way if both of the following apply:
(a) Pursuant to an ordinance adopted by such city, town or county, there will be conferred upon the school district privileges and benefits that may include benefits related to zoning.
(b) The dedication will not affect the normal operation of any school within the district.
17. Enter into option agreements for the purchase of school sites.
18. Donate surplus or outdated learning materials, educational equipment and furnishings to nonprofit community organizations where the governing board determines that the anticipated cost of selling the learning materials, educational equipment or furnishings equals or exceeds the estimated market value of the materials.
19. Prescribe policies for the assessment of reasonable fees for students to use district‑provided parking facilities. The fees are to be applied by the district solely against costs incurred in operating or securing the parking facilities. Any policy adopted by the governing board pursuant to this paragraph shall include a fee waiver provision in appropriate cases of need or economic hardship.
20. Establish alternative educational programs that are consistent with the laws of this state to educate pupils, including pupils who have been reassigned pursuant to section 15‑841, subsection E or F.
21. Require a period of silence to be observed at the commencement of the first class of the day in the schools. If a governing board chooses to require a period of silence to be observed, the teacher in charge of the room in which the first class is held shall announce that a period of silence not to exceed one minute in duration will be observed for meditation, and during that time no activities shall take place and silence shall be maintained.
22. Require students to wear uniforms.
23. Exchange unimproved property or improved property, including school sites, where the governing board determines that the improved property is unnecessary for the continued operation of the school district without requesting authorization by a vote of the school district electors if the governing board determines that the exchange is necessary to protect the health, safety or welfare of pupils or when the governing board determines that the exchange is based on sound business principles for either:
(a) Unimproved or improved property of equal or greater value.
(b) Unimproved property that the owner contracts to improve if the value of the property ultimately received by the school district is of equal or greater value.
24. For common and high school pupils, assess reasonable fees for optional extracurricular activities and programs conducted when the common or high school is not in session, except that no fees shall be charged for pupils' access to or use of computers or related materials. For high school pupils, the governing board may assess reasonable fees for fine arts and vocational education courses and for optional services, equipment and materials offered to the pupils beyond those required to successfully complete the basic requirements of any other course, except that no fees shall be charged for pupils' access to or use of computers or related materials. Fees assessed pursuant to this paragraph shall be adopted at a public meeting after notice has been given to all parents of pupils enrolled at schools in the district and shall not exceed the actual costs of the activities, programs, services, equipment or materials. The governing board shall authorize principals to waive the assessment of all or part of a fee assessed pursuant to this paragraph if it creates an economic hardship for a pupil. For the purposes of this paragraph, "extracurricular activity" means any optional, noncredit, educational or recreational activity that supplements the education program of the school, whether offered before, during or after regular school hours.
25. Notwithstanding section 15‑341, subsection A, paragraphs 7 and 9, construct school buildings and purchase or lease school sites, without a vote of the school district electors, if the buildings and sites are totally funded from one or more of the following:
(a) Monies in the unrestricted capital outlay fund, except that the estimated cost shall not exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars for a district that utilizes section 15‑949.
(b) Monies distributed from the school facilities board established by section 15‑2001.
(c) Monies specifically donated for the purpose of constructing school buildings.
This paragraph shall not be construed to eliminate the requirement for an election to raise revenues for a capital outlay override pursuant to section 15‑481 or a bond election pursuant to section 15‑491.
26. Conduct a background investigation that includes a fingerprint check conducted pursuant to section 41‑1750, subsection G for certificated personnel and personnel who are not paid employees of the school district, as a condition of employment. A school district may release the results of a background check to another school district for employment purposes. The school district may charge the costs of fingerprint checks to its fingerprinted employee, except that the school district may not charge the costs of fingerprint checks for personnel who are not paid employees of the school district.
27. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, sell advertising as follows:
(a) Advertisements shall be age appropriate and not contain promotion of any substance that is illegal for minors such as alcohol, tobacco and drugs or gambling. Advertisements shall comply with the state sex education policy of abstinence.
(b) Advertising approved by the governing board for the exterior of school buses may appear only on the sides of the bus in the following areas:
(i) The signs shall be below the seat level rub rail and not extend above the bottom of the side windows.
(ii) The signs shall be at least three inches from any required lettering, lamp, wheel well or reflector behind the service door or stop signal arm.
(iii) The signs shall not extend from the body of the bus so as to allow a handhold or present a danger to pedestrians.
(iv) The signs shall not interfere with the operation of any door or window.
(v) The signs shall not be placed on any emergency doors.
(c) The school district shall establish an advertisement fund that is composed of revenues from the sale of advertising. The monies in an advertisement fund are not subject to reversion.
28. Assess reasonable damage deposits to pupils in grades seven through twelve for the use of textbooks, musical instruments, band uniforms or other equipment required for academic courses. The governing board shall adopt policies on any damage deposits assessed pursuant to this paragraph at a public meeting called for this purpose after providing notice to all parents of pupils in grades seven through twelve in the school district. Principals of individual schools within the district may waive the damage deposit requirement for any textbook or other item if the payment of the damage deposit would create an economic hardship for the pupil. The school district shall return the full amount of the damage deposit for any textbook or other item if the pupil returns the textbook or other item in reasonably good condition within the time period prescribed by the governing board. For the purposes of this paragraph, "in reasonably good condition" means the textbook or other item is in the same or a similar condition as it was when the pupil received it, plus ordinary wear and tear.
29. Notwithstanding section 15‑1105, expend surplus monies in the civic center school fund for maintenance and operations or unrestricted capital outlay, if sufficient monies are available in the fund after meeting the needs of programs established pursuant to section 15‑1105.
30. Notwithstanding section 15‑1143, expend surplus monies in the community school program fund for maintenance and operations or unrestricted capital outlay, if sufficient monies are available in the fund after meeting the needs of programs established pursuant to section 15‑1142.
31. Adopt guidelines for standardization of the format of the school report cards required by section 15‑746 for schools within the district.
32. Adopt policies that require parental notification when a law enforcement officer interviews a pupil on school grounds. Policies adopted pursuant to this paragraph shall not impede a peace officer from the performance of the peace officer's duties. If the school district governing board adopts a policy that requires parental notification:
(a) The policy may provide reasonable exceptions to the parental notification requirement.
(b) The policy shall set forth whether and under what circumstances a parent may be present when a law enforcement officer interviews the pupil, including reasonable exceptions to the circumstances under which a parent may be present when a law enforcement officer interviews the pupil, and shall specify a reasonable maximum time after a parent is notified that an interview of a pupil by a law enforcement officer may be delayed to allow the parent to be present.
33. Enter into voluntary partnerships with any party to finance with funds other than school district funds and cooperatively design school facilities that comply with the adequacy standards prescribed in section 15‑2011 and the square footage per pupil requirements pursuant to section 15‑2041, subsection D, paragraph 3, subdivision (b). The design plans and location of any such school facility shall be submitted to the school facilities board for approval pursuant to section 15‑2041, subsection 0. If the school facilities board approves the design plans and location of any such school facility, the party in partnership with the school district may cause to be constructed and the district may begin operating the school facility before monies are distributed from the school facilities board pursuant to section 15‑2041. Monies distributed from the new school facilities fund to a school district in a partnership with another party to finance and design the school facility shall be paid to the school district pursuant to section 15‑2041. The school district shall reimburse the party in partnership with the school district from the monies paid to the school district pursuant to section 15‑2041, in accordance with the voluntary partnership agreement. Before the school facilities board distributes any monies pursuant to this subsection, the school district shall demonstrate to the school facilities board that the facilities to be funded pursuant to section 15‑2041, subsection O meet the minimum adequacy standards prescribed in section 15‑2011. If the cost to construct the school facility exceeds the amount that the school district receives from the new school facilities fund, the partnership agreement between the school district and the other party shall specify that, except as otherwise provided by the other party, any such excess costs shall be the responsibility of the school district. The school district governing board shall adopt a resolution in a public meeting that an analysis has been conducted on the prospective effects of the decision to operate a new school with existing monies from the school district's maintenance and operations budget and how this decision may affect other schools in the school district. If a school district acquires land by donation at an appropriate school site approved by the school facilities board and a school facility is financed and built on the land pursuant to this paragraph, the school facilities board shall distribute an amount equal to twenty per cent percent of the fair market value of the land that can be used for academic purposes. The school district shall place the monies in the unrestricted capital outlay fund and increase the unrestricted capital budget limit by the amount of the monies placed in the fund. Monies distributed under this paragraph shall be distributed from the new school facilities fund pursuant to section 15-2041. If a school district acquires land by donation at an appropriate school site approved by the school facilities board and a school facility is financed and built on the land pursuant to this paragraph, the school district shall not receive monies from the school facilities board for the donation of real property pursuant to section 15-2041, subsection F. It is unlawful for:
(a) A county, city or town to require as a condition of any land use approval that a landowner or landowners that entered into a partnership pursuant to this paragraph provide any contribution, donation or gift, other than a site donation, to a school district. This subdivision only applies to the property in the voluntary partnership agreement pursuant to this paragraph.
(b) A county, city or town to require as a condition of any land use approval that the landowner or landowners located within the geographic boundaries of the school subject to the voluntary partnership pursuant to this paragraph provide any donation or gift to the school district except as provided in the voluntary partnership agreement pursuant to this paragraph.
(c) A community facilities district established pursuant to title 48, chapter 4, article 6 to be used for reimbursement of financing the construction of a school pursuant to this paragraph.
(d) A school district to enter into an agreement pursuant to this paragraph with any party other than a master planned community party. Any land area consisting of at least three hundred twenty acres that is the subject of a development agreement with a county, city or town entered into pursuant to section 9‑500.05 or 11‑1101 shall be deemed to be a master planned community. For the purposes of this subdivision, "master planned community" means a land area consisting of at least three hundred twenty acres, which may be noncontiguous, that is the subject of a zoning ordinance approved by the governing body of the county, city or town in which the land is located that establishes the use of the land area as a planned area development or district, planned community development or district, planned unit development or district or other land use category or district that is recognized in the local ordinance of such county, city or town and that specifies the use of such land is for a master planned development.
34. Enter into an intergovernmental agreement with a presiding judge of the juvenile court to implement a law‑related education program as defined in section 15‑154. The presiding judge of the juvenile court may assign juvenile probation officers to participate in a law‑related education program in any school district in the county. The cost of juvenile probation officers who participate in the program implemented pursuant to this paragraph shall be funded by the school district.
35. Offer to sell outdated learning materials, educational equipment or furnishings at a posted price commensurate with the value of the items to pupils who are currently enrolled in that school district before those materials are offered for public sale.
36. If the school district is a small school district as defined in section 15‑901, and if permitted by federal law, opt out of federal grant opportunities if the governing board determines that the federal requirements impose unduly burdensome reporting requirements.
Sec. 2. Section 15-2041, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
15-2041. New school facilities fund; capital plan; report
A. A new school facilities fund is established consisting of monies appropriated by the legislature and monies credited to the fund pursuant to section 37‑221. The school facilities board shall administer the fund and distribute monies, as a continuing appropriation, to school districts for the purpose of constructing new school facilities and for contracted expenses pursuant to section 15‑2002, subsection B, paragraphs 2, 3 and 4. On June 30 of each fiscal year, any unobligated contract monies in the new school facilities fund shall be transferred to the capital reserve fund established by section 15‑2003.
B. The school facilities board shall prescribe a uniform format for use by the school district governing board in developing and annually updating a capital plan that consists of each of the following:
1. Enrollment projections for the next five years for elementary schools and eight years for middle and high schools, including a description of the methods used to make the projections.
2. A description of new schools or additions to existing schools needed to meet the building adequacy standards prescribed in section 15‑2011. The description shall include:
(a) The grade levels and the total number of pupils that the school or addition is intended to serve.
(b) The year in which it is necessary for the school or addition to begin operations.
(c) A timeline that shows the planning and construction process for the school or addition.
3. Long‑term projections of the need for land for new schools.
4. Any other necessary information required by the school facilities board to evaluate a school district's capital plan.
5. If a school district pays tuition for all or a portion of the school district's high school pupils to another school district, the capital plan shall indicate the number of pupils for which the district pays tuition to another district. If a school district accepts pupils from another school district pursuant to section 15‑824, subsection A, the school district shall indicate the projections for this population separately. This paragraph does not apply to a small isolated school district as defined in section 15‑901.
C. If the capital plan indicates a need for a new school or an addition to an existing school within the next four years or a need for land within the next ten years, the school district shall submit its plan to the school facilities board by September 1 and shall request monies from the new school facilities fund for the new construction or land. The school facilities board may require a school district to sell land that was previously purchased entirely with monies provided by the school facilities board if the school facilities board determines that the property is no longer needed within the ten year period specified in this subsection for a new school or no longer needed within that ten year period for an addition to an existing school. Monies provided for land shall be in addition to any monies provided pursuant to subsection D of this section.
D. The school facilities board shall distribute monies from the new school facilities fund as follows:
1. The school facilities board shall review and evaluate the enrollment projections. On or before March 1, following the submission of the enrollment projections, the school facilities board shall either approve the projections as submitted or revise the projections. In approving or revising the enrollment projections, the school facilities board shall use the most recent average daily membership data available. On request from the school facilities board, the department of education shall make available the most recent average daily membership data for use in revising the enrollment projections. In determining new construction requirements, the school facilities board shall determine the net new growth of pupils that will require additional square footage that exceeds the building adequacy standards prescribed in section 15‑2011. If the projected growth and the existing number of pupils exceed three hundred fifty pupils who are served in a school district other than the pupil's resident school district, the school facilities board, the receiving school district and the resident school district shall develop a capital facilities plan on how to best serve those pupils. A small isolated school district as defined in section 15‑901 is not required to develop a capital facilities plan pursuant to this paragraph.
2. If the approved projections indicate that additional space would not have been needed during the current school year in order to meet the building adequacy standards prescribed in section 15‑2011, the request shall be held for consideration by the school facilities board for possible future funding and the school district shall annually submit an updated plan until the additional space is needed.
3. If the approved projections indicate that additional space would have been needed during the current school year in order to meet the building adequacy standards prescribed in section 15‑2011, the school facilities board shall provide an amount as follows:
(a) Determine the number of pupils requiring additional square footage to meet building adequacy standards. This amount for elementary schools shall not be less than the number of new pupils for whom space will be needed in the next year and shall not exceed the number of new pupils for whom space will be needed in the next five years. This amount for middle and high schools shall not be less than the number of new pupils for whom space will be needed in the next four years and shall not exceed the number of new pupils for whom space will be needed in the next eight years.
(b) Multiply the number of pupils determined in subdivision (a) of this paragraph by the square footage per pupil. The square footage per pupil is ninety square feet per pupil for preschool children with disabilities, kindergarten programs and grades one through six, one hundred square feet for grades seven and eight, one hundred thirty‑four square feet for a school district that provides instruction in grades nine through twelve for fewer than one thousand eight hundred pupils and one hundred twenty‑five square feet for a school district that provides instruction in grades nine through twelve for at least one thousand eight hundred pupils. The total number of pupils in grades nine through twelve in the district shall determine the square footage factor to use for net new pupils. The school facilities board may modify the square footage requirements prescribed in this subdivision for particular schools based on any of the following factors:
(i) The number of pupils served or projected to be served by the school district.
(ii) Geographic factors.
(iii) Grade configurations other than those prescribed in this subdivision.
(iv) Compliance with minimum school facility adequacy requirements established pursuant to section 15‑2011.
(c) Multiply the product obtained in subdivision (b) of this paragraph by the cost per square foot. The cost per square foot is ninety dollars for preschool children with disabilities, kindergarten programs and grades one through six, ninety‑five dollars for grades seven and eight and one hundred ten dollars for grades nine through twelve. The cost per square foot shall be adjusted annually for construction market considerations based on an index identified or developed by the joint legislative budget committee as necessary but not less than once each year. The school facilities board shall multiply the cost per square foot by 1.05 for any school district located in a rural area. The school facilities board may only modify the base cost per square foot prescribed in this subdivision for particular schools based on geographic conditions or site conditions. For the purposes of this subdivision, "rural area" means an area outside a thirty‑five mile radius of a boundary of a municipality with a population of more than fifty thousand persons.
(d) Once the school district governing board obtains approval from the school facilities board for new facility construction funds, additional portable or modular square footage created for the express purpose of providing temporary space for pupils until the completion of the new facility shall not be included by the school facilities board for the purpose of new construction funding calculations. On completion of the new facility construction project, if the portable or modular facilities continue in use, the portable or modular facilities shall be included as prescribed by this chapter, unless the school facilities board approves their continued use for the purpose of providing temporary space for pupils until the completion of the next new facility that has been approved for funding from the new school facilities fund.
4. For projects approved after December 31, 2001, and notwithstanding paragraph 3 of this subsection, a unified school district that does not have a high school is not eligible to receive high school space as prescribed by section 15‑2011 and this section unless the unified district qualifies for geographic factors prescribed by paragraph 3, subdivision (b), item (ii) of this subsection.
5. If a joint technical education district leases a building from a school district, that building shall be included in the school district's square footage calculation for the purposes of new construction pursuant to this section.
6. If a school district
leases a building to another entity, including a charter school that is
sponsored by a school district pursuant to section 15‑183, that building
shall be included in the school district's square footage calculation for
purposes of new construction pursuant to this section.
7. A school district shall qualify for monies from the new school facilities fund in a fiscal year only if the school facilities board has approved or revised its enrollment projection under paragraph 3 of this subsection on or before March 1 of the prior fiscal year.
E. Monies for architectural and engineering fees, project management services and preconstruction services shall be distributed on the completion of the analysis by the school facilities board of the school district's request. After receiving monies pursuant to this subsection, the school district shall submit a design development plan for the school or addition to the school facilities board before any monies for construction are distributed. If the school district's request meets the building adequacy standards, the school facilities board may review and comment on the district's plan with respect to the efficiency and effectiveness of the plan in meeting state square footage and facility standards before distributing the remainder of the monies. If the school facilities board modifies the cost per square foot as prescribed in subsection D, paragraph 3, subdivision (c) of this section, the school facilities board may deduct the cost of project management services and preconstruction services from the required cost per square foot. The school facilities board may decline to fund the project if the square footage is no longer required due to revised enrollment projections.
F. The
school facilities board shall distribute the monies needed for land for new
schools so that land may be purchased at a price that is less than or equal to
fair market value and in advance of the construction of the new school. If
necessary, the school facilities board may distribute monies for land to be
leased for new schools if the duration of the lease exceeds the life expectancy
of the school facility by at least fifty per
cent percent. A
school district shall not use land purchased or partially purchased with monies
provided by the school facilities board for a purpose other than a site for a
school facility without obtaining prior written approval from the school
facilities board. A school district shall not lease, sell or take
any action that would diminish the value of land purchased or partially
purchased with monies provided by the school facilities board without obtaining
prior written approval from the school facilities board. The
proceeds derived through the sale of any land purchased or partially purchased,
or the sale of buildings funded or partially funded, with monies provided by
the school facilities board shall be returned to the state fund from which it
was appropriated and to any other participating entity on a proportional
basis. Except as provided in section 15‑342, paragraph 33, if a school
district acquires real property by donation at an appropriate school site
approved by the school facilities board, the school facilities board shall
distribute an amount equal to twenty per
cent percent of
the fair market value of the donated real property that can be used for academic
purposes. The school district shall place the monies in the
unrestricted capital outlay fund and increase the unrestricted capital budget
limit by the amount of monies placed in the fund. Monies distributed under this
subsection shall be distributed from the new school facilities fund. A school
district that receives monies from the new school facilities fund for a donation of land school facility pursuant to section 15‑342,
paragraph 33 shall not receive monies from the school facilities board for the
donation of real property pursuant to this subsection. A school
district shall not pay a consultant a percentage of the value of any of the
following:
1. Donations of real property, services or cash from any of the following:
(a) Entities that have offered to provide construction services to the school district.
(b) Entities that have been contracted to provide construction services to the school district.
(c) Entities that build residential units in that school district.
(d) Entities that develop land for residential use in that school district.
2. Monies received from the school facilities board on behalf of the school district.
3. Monies paid by the school facilities board on behalf of the school district.
G. In addition to distributions to school districts based on pupil growth projections, a school district may submit an application to the school facilities board for monies from the new school facilities fund if one or more school buildings have outlived their useful life. If the school facilities board determines that the school district needs to build a new school building for these reasons, the school facilities board shall remove the square footage computations that represent the building from the computation of the school district's total square footage for purposes of this section. If the square footage recomputation reflects that the school district no longer meets building adequacy standards, the school district qualifies for a distribution of monies from the new school construction formula in an amount determined pursuant to subsection D of this section. The school facilities board may only modify the base cost per square foot prescribed in this subsection under extraordinary circumstances for geographic factors or site conditions.
H. School districts that receive monies from the new school facilities fund shall establish a district new school facilities fund and shall use the monies in the district new school facilities fund only for the purposes prescribed in this section. By October 15 of each year, each school district shall report to the school facilities board the projects funded at each school in the previous fiscal year with monies from the district new school facilities fund and shall provide an accounting of the monies remaining in the new school facilities fund at the end of the previous fiscal year.
I. If a school district has surplus monies received from the new school facilities fund, the school district may use the surplus monies only for capital purposes for the project for up to one year after completion of the project. If the school district possesses surplus monies from the new school construction project that have not been expended within one year of the completion of the project, the school district shall return the surplus monies to the school facilities board for deposit in the new school facilities fund.
J. The board's consideration of any application filed after December 31 of the year in which the property becomes territory in the vicinity of a military airport or ancillary military facility as defined in section 28‑8461 for monies to fund the construction of new school facilities proposed to be located in territory in the vicinity of a military airport or ancillary military facility shall include, if after notice is transmitted to the military airport pursuant to section 15‑2002 and before the public hearing the military airport provides comments and an analysis concerning compatibility of the proposed school facilities with the high noise or accident potential generated by military airport or ancillary military facility operations that may have an adverse effect on public health and safety, consideration and analysis of the comments and analysis provided by the military airport before making a final determination.
K. If a school district uses its own project manager for new school construction, the members of the school district governing board and the project manager shall sign an affidavit stating that the members and the project manager understand and will follow the minimum adequacy requirements prescribed in section 15‑2011.
L. The school facilities board shall establish a separate account in the new school facilities fund designated as the litigation account to pay attorney fees, expert witness fees and other costs associated with litigation in which the school facilities board pursues the recovery of damages for deficiencies correction that resulted from alleged construction defects or design defects that the school facilities board believes caused or contributed to a failure of the school building to conform to the building adequacy requirements prescribed in section 15‑2011. Attorney fees paid pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed the market rate for similar types of litigation. On or before December 1 of each year, the school facilities board shall report to the joint committee on capital review the costs associated with current and potential litigation that may be paid from the litigation account.
M. Until the state board of education and the auditor general adopt rules pursuant to section 15‑213, subsection I, the school facilities board may allow school districts to contract for construction services and materials through the qualified select bidders list method of project delivery for new school facilities pursuant to this section.
N. The school facilities board shall submit electronically a report on project management services and preconstruction services to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives by December 31 of each year. The report shall compare projects that use project management and preconstruction services with those that do not. The report shall address cost, schedule and other measurable components of a construction project. School districts, construction manager at risk firms and project management firms that participate in a school facilities board funded project shall provide the information required by the school facilities board in relation to this report.
O. If a school district constructs new square footage according to section 15‑342, paragraph 33, the school facilities board shall review the design plans and location of any new school facility submitted by school districts and another party to determine whether the design plans comply with the adequacy standards prescribed in section 15‑2011 and the square footage per pupil requirements pursuant to subsection D, paragraph 3, subdivision (b) of this section. When the school district qualifies for a distribution of monies from the new school facilities fund according to this section, the school facilities board shall distribute monies to the school district from the new school facilities fund for the square footage constructed under section 15‑342, paragraph 33 at the same cost per square foot established by this section that was in effect at the time of the beginning of the construction of the school facility. Before the school facilities board distributes any monies pursuant to this subsection, the school district shall demonstrate to the school facilities board that the facilities to be funded pursuant to this section meet the minimum adequacy standards prescribed in section 15‑2011. The agreement entered into pursuant to section 15‑342, paragraph 33 shall set forth the procedures for the allocation of these funds to the parties that participated in the agreement.
P. Accommodation schools are not eligible for monies from the new school facilities fund.
