Upon the request by a board of education of a regional school district that includes two constituent municipalities with a student population in excess of 3,500 pupils in any county of the fifth class having a population of not less than 450,000 according to the 1980 federal census, the State Board of Education is authorized to establish a Marine Academy of Science and Technology under the local area vocational-technical school for the purpose of providing education to students throughout the State of New Jersey in the fields of marine sciences, marine trades, marine technologies and related courses, as well as academic courses.
N.J.S. § 18A:54C-1