Section 8457 - Cooperative board authority1.General powers and duties. A cooperative board has all of the powers and duties of a school board as provided in section 1001, subsections 1, 2, 4 to 7 and 11-A to 19; section 1002; section 1256, subsections 1, 2 and 4 to 7; section 1257; section 1314; section 1315; section 4801; section 13201; and section 13202. For such purposes, references in those sections to "school administrative unit," "administrative unit," "school unit," "unit," "school administrative district," "district," "regional school unit," "RSU," "alternative organizational structure" or "AOS" mean career and technical education region; references in those sections to "school board," "school committee," "board," "board of directors" or "directors" mean cooperative board; references in those sections to "director" mean a member of a cooperative board; and references in those sections to "they" mean either, as appropriate in the context, cooperative board or members of the cooperative board. [2023, c. 405, Pt. A, §45(AMD).]
2.Cooperative agreement. The cooperative board shall adopt a cooperative agreement incorporating at a minimum each of the items listed under section 8452, subsection 1. The cooperative board, with the superintendents' advisory committee, shall annually review the cooperative agreement. The cooperative board may amend the agreement, subject to approval by a majority of the school boards of the units served by the region. A copy of the cooperative agreement and any amendments to the agreement must be filed with the commissioner. Beginning with the school year starting after June 30, 2025, the cooperative agreement must include an equivalency agreement for credit gained through a career and technical education program to be accepted as core credit toward a high school diploma for each of the school administrative units located in the region. [2023, c. 247, §3(AMD).]
3.Authority to borrow, expend and accept funds. A cooperative board may: A. Borrow funds in anticipation of a member unit's payment of its share of the regional budget. Such borrowing: (1) Must be repaid within one year; and(2) May not at any time exceed 3/4 of the region's annual approved budget; [1991, c. 518, §25(AMD).]B. Expend available funds to pay debt service, security and maintenance costs; and [1991, c. 518, §25(AMD).]C. Accept and expend special grants from state and federal sources. [1981, c. 693, §§5, 8(NEW).] [1991, c. 518, §25(AMD).]
4.Compensation. A cooperative board member may be paid up to $20 for each meeting of the cooperative board or its subcommittees that the member attends. [2013, c. 583, §1(AMD).]
5.Meetings. A cooperative board shall meet at least 6 times per calendar year. [1991, c. 518, §25(NEW).]
Amended by 2023SP1, c. 405,§ A-45, eff. 7/10/2023.Amended by 2023SP1, c. 247,§ 3, eff. 10/25/2023.Amended by 2019, c. 398,§ 26, eff. 9/19/2019.Amended by 2014, c. 583,§ 1, eff. 7/31/2014.Amended by 2012, c. 679,§ 20, eff. 8/30/2012.1981, c. 693, §§5,8 (NEW) . 1985, c. 797, § 43 (AMD) . 1987, c. 98, § 3 (AMD) . 1991, c. 518, § 25 (AMD) . 1991, c. 716, § 6 (AMD) . 2003, c. 545, § 5 (REV) . 2009, c. 154, § 4 (AMD) .