Section 188-E:10 Funding for Renovation and Expansion.
I. The department of education is responsible for maintaining a statewide system of regional vocational education centers to provide and allow for a variety of career and technical education programs funded within state budget appropriations. The treasurer of the state of New Hampshire is hereby authorized to make funds available to the department of education for the renovation and expansion of qualified regional vocational education centers or regional vocational education programs authorized in the capital budget, provided that:
(a) The commissioner of the department of education shall ensure that all requests submitted are both educationally and financially appropriate within the state capital project authorization process;
(b) The commissioner of the department of education submits on a biennial basis in a capital budget request a priority list of facilities and programs eligible for renovation and expansion, provided that priority shall be given to programs that have been certified by an approved standard or that need additional funds to become certified by an approved standard;
(c) Each request for funding follows the capital budget procedure pursuant to RSA 9:3-a, provided that no qualified project funded in a state capital budget as required in this section shall have additional funds for the same project included in a subsequent proposal for capital appropriation under RSA 9:3-a unless directed by the priority list of the department of education;
(d) Each school district requesting funds from the department of education establishes and funds a renovation and expansion reserve fund, which shall be used by the school district to pay renovation and expansion costs not funded by the state, and which may include funding for the replacement of equipment; and
(e) The state shall fund not less than 50 percent nor more than 75 percent of the cost of a qualified project approved pursuant to this section.
(f) In this section, ""qualified'' means the project:
(1) Demonstrates need connected to the labor market.
(2) Accepts students from sending schools.
(3) Demonstrates adequate numbers of students through enrollment figures based on 3-year averages.
(4) Demonstrates alignment with program competencies and academic competencies required by the department of education.
(5) Allows for matriculation into a postsecondary venue.
(6) Meets all industry and building standards.
(7) Meets the procedural requirements for requests under this section and any other requirements in rules of the department of education.
(8) Is a regional vocational education center within a public school, or a public academy as defined in RSA 194:23, II, in the state of New Hampshire.
(9) Has the capacity to provide academic courses for students from the sending districts who are approved for full-time attendance at the center.
II. The renovation and expansion reserve funding required by subparagraph I(d) may be funded through local community funds, vocational education tuition payments, gifts, contributions, and bequests of unrestricted funds from individuals, foundations, corporations, organizations, or institutions. School districts shall consider priority funding for programs certified or needing additional funds to become certified as set forth in subparagraph I(b).
III. Public academies receiving funds through the capital budget process shall comply with all contracts or agreements required by department of education rules adopted pursuant to RSA 541-A.
Source. 1973, 567:1. 1975, 345:1. 1977, 513:1. 1979, 271:1. 1982, 38:1. 1983, 11:1. 1986, 186:2. 1988, 182:2. 1989, 322:2. 1990, 28:10; 158:2. 1992, 47:1. 1993, 265:1. 1997, 265:2. 2000, 282:2. 2003, 214:1, 2. 2005, 99:1. 2007, 333:3, eff. Sept. 14, 2007. 2008, 328:3, 4, eff. Sept. 1, 2008.