15-782.02. Career and technical education and vocational education programs; fingerprint clearance card; expanded hours; tuition

A. For the purposes of the career technical education district's participation in any student financial assistance program authorized by title IV of the higher education act of 1965, as amended (20 United States Code section 1070 et seq.), career technical education districts may offer vocational education programs beyond secondary education to adult students who have either graduated from high school or obtained a general equivalency diploma with training to prepare the adults for gainful employment. These programs may not be offered for college-level credit unless authorized through a dual credit agreement with an accredited college. Secondary education students may also be enrolled in career technical education district courses that are administered at a postsecondary level for college-level credit. Such courses may also qualify secondary education students for high school credit.

B. Persons who are over twenty-two years of age shall not attend vocational programs in high school buildings during regular school hours, except that a person who is over twenty-two years of age may attend vocational programs other than massage therapy programs during regular school hours on a central campus that is owned and operated or leased and operated by a career technical education district pursuant to section 15-393, subsection D, paragraph 4 if the vocational program has additional student capacity after the enrollment of persons who are twenty-two years of age or younger. A person who is over twenty-two years of age shall not be admitted to or attend a vocational program during regular school hours pursuant to this subsection unless the person has a valid fingerprint clearance card pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1. The costs of the fingerprint clearance card shall be paid by the applicant. A career technical education district shall immediately notify in writing the parent or guardian of each pupil under eighteen years of age who is in a vocational program during regular school hours when a person who is over twenty-two years of age enrolls in the vocational program.

C. Any person may file a complaint with the state board of vocational education under rules adopted by the state board of education acting as the state board of vocational education regarding an alleged violation of federal or state law by a career technical education district, including any student financial assistance program authorized by title IV of the higher education act of 1965, as amended (20 United States Code section 1070 et seq.), governing adult students who enroll in a career technical education district pursuant to subsection A of this section.

D. The department of education shall distribute twenty-six dollars for every day that a full-time student attends an extended year or summer school program in a career technical education district and thirteen dollars for every day that a part-time student attends an extended year or summer school program in a career technical education district, subject to appropriation, except that the department of education shall not distribute monies pursuant to this section for any student who has either graduated from high school or obtained a general equivalency diploma or who has reached twenty-two years of age, whichever occurs first.

E. School districts with career and technical education and vocational education programs may operate those programs for more than one hundred seventy-five days per year, with expanded hours of service.

F. Career and technical education and vocational education programs run by school districts may charge tuition to offset expenses associated with serving adult students.