The following procedure shall be followed for the leasing of sixteenth section school lands or lands granted in lieu thereof which are not classified as forest land or agricultural land or leased under Section 29-3-99:
(a) Any present leaseholder who desires to renew his lease, or any person who desires to lease sixteenth section or lieu lands, shall make application to the superintendent of education.(b) Upon receipt of an application for the lease of such lands, the superintendent of education shall promptly give consideration to the application and he shall record his recommendation in writing and present it to the board of education at the next regular meeting of the board.(c) The board of education, at its meeting, shall consider the application and recommendation of the superintendent of education and may receive any other information which it considers bearing upon the approval of the application and lease of such land. Within thirty (30) days of the receipt of an application, the board shall act on the application and if such action is favorable, the board of education shall submit to the superintendent of education a suggested lease agreement.(d) The superintendent of education shall then present the lease to the board of supervisors of the county where such land is located. Within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the lease, the board of supervisors shall accept or reject the proposed rental amount.(e) If the board of supervisors accepts the lease as proposed by the board of education, the superintendent of education shall execute the lease to the applicant under the terms and conditions set forth in the lease.(f) If the board of supervisors refuses to accept the rental value set by the board of education in the proposed lease, the rental value of the lease shall be determined under the provisions set forth in Section 29-3-1(2).(g) All sixteenth section or lieu land leases shall be reduced to writing and signed by the president of the board of supervisors, the president of the board of education and the superintendent of education. The chancery clerk shall record the original on the deed records of the county, abstract the lease as a mesne conveyance, and record it on the minutes of the board of supervisors. The chancery clerk shall charge and collect from the lessee the full recording fees. A certified copy of the lease must be provided to the Secretary of State in the format requested.Laws, 1978, ch. 525, § 2, eff. 7/1/1978.Amended by Laws, 2020, ch. 365, HB 1439,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2020.