18A:51-1 . County educational audiovisual aids centers authorized
The boards of education of two or more school districts in any county may by resolution adopted by a majority vote of all of the members of each such board, determine to establish a "county educational audiovisual aids center."

18A:51-2. County educational audiovisual aids commission
The supervision, management and control of such center shall be vested in a county educational audiovisual aids commission which shall consist of seven members who shall serve without compensation. Three members of the commission, who shall be known as members of the first class, shall be chosen from the membership of the boards of education of the participating school districts, three members of the commission, who shall be known as members of the second class, shall be chosen from the membership of the professional staffs of said boards of education whose offices, positions or employments are such as to require them to hold appropriate certificates in full force and effect in this state, and one member of the commission, who shall be known as the librarian member, shall be the county librarian if there be a county library in the county, who shall hold office ex officio, and if there be no county library in the county, then such member shall be chosen from among the librarians of the libraries in the county supported in whole or in part by public funds.

18A:51-3. Appointed members of commission
The first members of the commission shall be appointed forthwith by the county superintendent of the county upon notification that it has been determined to establish such a center and they shall serve until June 30 next ensuing.

18A:51-4. Election of members of commission; terms; vacancies
On or before said June 30 and annually thereafter, the county superintendent shall call a meeting of all of the members of the boards of education of the participating school districts for the election of permanent members of the commission. At such first meeting one member of the first class and one member of the second class, shall be elected for terms of one year, two years and three years, each, beginning on July 1 next succeeding, and if there be no county library in the county, the librarian member shall be elected for a term of one year. At each subsequent meeting one member of each class shall be elected to serve for a term of three years and a librarian member to serve for one year shall be elected, also, if there be no county library in the county. In all cases the vote of the majority of the members of the boards of education of the participating school districts present and voting shall be necessary for election. Vacancies in the commission shall be filled by the remaining members of the commission according to the qualifications hereinbefore provided for original appointments and they shall serve for the unexpired terms only.

18A:51-5. Organization of commission; officers; rules and bonds
Each county educational audiovisual aids commission shall organize by the election of a chairman and a vice chairman from its own membership and shall adopt rules for the establishment and maintenance of said center. The county superintendent shall serve as secretary of the commission, and the county treasurer of the county shall serve as custodian of all moneys and funds of the commission from whatever source derived, without compensation. The county treasurer as such custodian shall keep said moneys and funds in a separate and distinct account and shall disburse the same on orders signed by the chairman and secretary of the commission. Before entering upon his duties as such custodian he shall be required to give additional bond or to renew his bond as county treasurer, in such manner as to cover and secure the faithful performance of his duties as such custodian and any additional premium shall be paid by the commission.

18A:51-6. Powers and duties of commission
The commission shall provide, maintain and furnish educational audiovisual aids to the public schools of the participating school districts and shall provide such facilities, and may incur such expenses as it may deem necessary for said purpose, but shall not make expenditures or commitments in any year in excess of the funds available for that year.

The commission may contract with nonprofit, private schools within the county to provide, maintain and furnish educational audiovisual aids to such private schools. Before contracting with any nonprofit, private school, the commission shall submit the terms of the contract to the member boards for review, which terms shall include a description of the educational audiovisual aid to the furnished, the amount of payment and the time for payment.

Amended by L.1969, c. 274, s. 1, eff. Jan. 12, 1970.

18A:51-7. Assessment for maintenance of audiovisual aids center
18A:51-7. The commission shall assess against the participating school districts a sum which, together with any anticipated State aid and private donations, shall be required for the establishment and maintenance of the county educational audiovisual aids center during the first year and for the maintenance and operation of the same, during each year thereafter, which total annual assessment shall be apportioned among the participating school districts in the proportion which the resident enrollment of the pupils for the prebudget year of each such district shall bear to the total resident enrollment of the pupils for the prebudget year of all of the participating school districts as determined by the commissioner.

Amended 1968, c.294; 1990, c.52, s.70; 1996, c.138, s.79.

18A:51-8. Budget procedure
On or before September 30 of each year the commission shall prepare a tentative budget of the sums required by said commission in carrying on its activities for the ensuing year so itemized as to make it readily understandable, together with a statement of the amount to be assessed against each participating school district for such year, and shall deliver the same to the board of education of each of the participating school districts before the date of the October meeting of such board. The board of education of each participating school district shall consider such tentative budget at its October meeting and shall return the same forthwith to the commission with its endorsement or suggestions for change, if any, and after all such boards of education shall have so returned the same, the commission shall adopt its budget for the ensuing year and notify the board of education of each participating school district, on or before the November meeting thereof if practicable and otherwise as soon thereafter as possible, of the total amount of the budget and the amount to be assessed against such school district for said year and each such board of education shall include the amount so assessed against it in the item "current expenses of schools" in the budget adopted or submitted for adoption by it for the ensuing year and the same shall be paid to the custodian of moneys of the commission as required and requisitioned by him. If during the first year of the establishment of any such commission it shall be impossible to carry out the budgetary provisions hereinbefore provided, the commission shall certify to the boards of education of the participating school districts the amounts of said assessments as soon as practicable after the establishment of the commission and said boards of education shall pay said assessments from available current expense funds.

18A:51-9. Statement to be forwarded to commissioner; state aid to audiovisual aid centers
Each county educational audiovisual aids commission shall forward to the commissioner, on or before September 1 of each year, a statement of its organization and its proposed program of operation for the next ensuing school year, together with an estimate of the amount of State aid, calculated as hereinafter provided, to which it will be entitled for that school year and it shall certify, on or before the next June 30, the amount raised by assessments and private donations for the purposes of such audiovisual center for the said school year and if the amount so raised by assessments or private donations or both for any one school year, for the establishment and maintenance or for the maintenance of such aids center shall be not less than the sum of $500.00, and if the commissioner shall approve such organization and program he shall thereupon certify to the Director of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury that there shall be paid to the custodian of moneys of the commission an amount equal to the amount so raised by assessments and private donations out of any funds appropriated by law for said purposes, which amount shall be paid on the warrant of said director drawn on the State Treasurer in favor of the custodian of moneys of the commission except that the amount so to be paid by the State to any such commission shall not exceed the sum of $5,000.00 in any 1 year nor shall it exceed the sum expended by the commission for educational audiovisual aids purchased by it in any year after the first 5 annual payments have been made. If the sum appropriated by the State for State aid to county educational audiovisual centers in any 1 year shall be less than the total amounts so certified by the commissioner, each commission shall be entitled to be paid its proportionate share of the total amount so appropriated.

Amended by L.1969, c. 224, s. 1, eff. Dec. 5, 1969.

18A:51-10. Unexpended funds; disposition
Any unexpended balance of the moneys or funds in the hands of the custodian of moneys of any such commission at the end of any school year shall be available for expenditure by the commission in the succeeding year or years but it shall not be included in any report of the amount raised as the basis for the calculation of state aid for any succeeding year.

18A:51-11. Single county educational audiovisual aids center in county
Not more than one county educational audiovisual aids center shall be established in any one county and if any board of education of any school district within the county shall, subsequent to the establishment of a county educational audiovisual aids center within the county, determine, by resolution adopted by a recorded roll call majority vote of its full membership to apply for membership therein and shall give notice thereof to the secretary of the commission, such board of education shall be admitted to membership therein beginning on the first day of the month next following and thereafter shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter in the same manner as though it had been one of the original participating school districts therein.

18A:51-12. Withdrawal of districts from, and dissolution of, audiovisual aids center
Any board of education of any participating school district may withdraw as a participating district pursuant to resolution duly adopted by said board and notice of intention to withdraw given to the secretary of the commission on or before August 1 in any year and in event that all participating boards of education, or all of said participating boards of education except one, shall determine to withdraw from any such county educational audiovisual center, the same shall be dissolved and the property of such center shall be disposed of at a public or private sale and one half of the amount realized therefrom, together with one half of any unexpended balances remaining in the treasury of such center, shall be paid to the state treasurer to be devoted to the maintenance and support of the public schools and the remainder thereof shall be apportioned among the board of education participating in said center at the time of its dissolution on the basis of the total average daily enrollment of the pupils of said district ascertained as hereinbefore provided.

18A:51-13. Contracting for television educational services
Every board is hereby authorized to make use of television as an educational aid by contracting for the services of any noncommercial, nonprofit educational television station located within or without the state but such contract shall not require the board to incur expenses in any one year period in excess of an amount equal to $2.00 per pupil in resident enrollment in the district.

18A:51-14. Participation in noncommercial educational television stations
Every board, in addition to the powers set forth in section 18A:51-13 and subject to the rules and regulations of the state board, may participate in the organization and operation of a noncommercial, nonprofit, educational television station in this state and utilize the services therefrom, and in order to effectuate such purpose, every board is authorized:

(1) To enter into any contractual arrangement agreeable to the board with any other public or private agencies or organizations, including membership in a noncommercial, nonprofit corporation or association duly organized under the laws of this state to operate such a station;

(2) To designate one or more representatives to the board of trustees of such corporation or association, and otherwise to participate in its affairs in compliance with the charter and bylaws of such organization;

(3) To procure for the public schools under the board's jurisdiction the services of such a station, by subscription or otherwise; and

(4) To incur such expenses as the board may deem advisable for such purposes, by way of dues, subscription charges, assessments, capital contributions and otherwise, but in amounts not exceeding in any one year $2.00 per pupil in resident enrollment in the district.

18A:51-15. Calculation of resident enrollment
The resident enrollment shall be calculated and determined upon the basis of the current school year in the same manner as the same was calculated and determined by the commissioner for the apportionment of current expenses state aid for schools among the participating school districts.

18A:51-16. Approval of program or contract by commissioner requisite
Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no board of education shall participate in any educational television program or enter into any contract which may be disapproved by the commissioner as being incompatible with the policies, rules or regulations established by the state board governing public instruction in this state.

18A:51-17. Termination of participation
Any board which has become a participant in any educational television organization may terminate its participation therein at the end of any school year by giving to such organization not less than 30 days' written notice of the board's withdrawal therefrom.