754 - Loan of instructional computer hardware.

§  754.  Loan  of  instructional  computer hardware. 1. In the several  cities and school districts of the state, school authorities, as defined  in subdivision twelve of section two of this  chapter,  shall  have  the  power  and  duty,  to the extent provided in this section, to loan, upon  request of an individual or a group of individual pupils, to all  pupils  legally  attending  nonpublic elementary or secondary schools located in  the school district, instructional computer hardware which is designated  for use in any public elementary or secondary schools of the state or is  approved by any school authorities. Such instructional computer hardware  is to be loaned free to such children, commencing with the two  thousand  seven--two  thousand  eight  school  year,  subject  to  such  rules and  regulations as are or may be prescribed by the board of regents and such  school authorities.    2. No school district shall be required to loan instructional computer  hardware in excess of the instructional computer  hardware  acquired  by  such  district  pursuant  to  section  seven hundred fifty-three of this  article. Such instructional computer hardware  shall  be  loaned  on  an  equitable  basis to children attending nonpublic schools in the district  in the current year, provided that nothing  in  this  article  shall  be  construed  to  require  a  school district to loan to children attending  nonpublic schools, pursuant  to  this  section,  instructional  computer  hardware purchased with local or federal funds or with state funds other  than  funds apportioned pursuant to this article. The payment of tuition  under article eighty-nine of this chapter is deemed to be  an  equitable  loan  to  children  for whom such tuition is paid, and the provisions of  this section shall not apply.    3. School authorities shall adopt regulations specifying the  date  by  which  requests  for  the  purchase  and  loan of instructional computer  hardware must be received by the district. Notice of such date shall  be  given  to all non-public schools in the school district. Such date shall  not be earlier than the first day of June of the school  year  prior  to  that  for which such instructional computer hardware is being requested,  provided, however, that a parent or guardian of a child not attending  a  particular  non-public school prior to June first of the school year may  submit a written request  for  instructional  computer  hardware  within  thirty  days  after such child is enrolled in such non-public school. In  no event, however, shall a request made later than the  times  otherwise  provided  pursuant  to  this  subdivision  be  denied where a reasonable  explanation is given for the delay in making the request.