(a) As used in this section, the terms “district,” “special education local plan area,” and “county office” have the same meaning as prescribed by Part 30 (commencing with Section 56000).

(b) The governing board of a school district that adopts a resolution of intent to lease vacant classrooms shall first offer to lease the classrooms for special education programs that are provided by either other districts that comprise part of the special education local plan area in which the leasing district is included or by the county office having jurisdiction over the leasing district, to the pupils of the leasing district, in whole or in part.

(c) Upon adoption of the resolution, the governing board shall notify, in writing, other districts or the county office, as specified in subdivision (b), of its intent to lease vacant classrooms. The notice shall describe the vacant classrooms, shall specify that the lease shall not exceed a term of 99 years and that the lease payment and other terms of the lease are subject to negotiation, and shall state that the offer to lease is valid for no more than 60 days after receipt thereof.

(d) Notwithstanding Section 17466, the governing board may include in its resolution a time for a public meeting of the governing board to be held at its regular place of meeting at which sealed proposals to lease will be received and considered, and, notwithstanding Section 17469, may post copies of the resolution and publish notice of the adoption of the resolution. However, the governing board shall not act on any proposal prior to the first of the following conditions occurring:

(1) Receipt from the county superintendent or the public education agency, as appropriate, of its intent to lease the classrooms or of its intent not to do so.

(2) Expiration of the 60-day period prescribed by subdivision (c).

(e) An entity desiring to lease the vacant classrooms shall, within 60 days from receipt of the notification, inform the governing board, in writing, of its intent to lease or not to lease the classrooms.

(f) (1) The lease payments and other terms of the lease for vacant classrooms leased to other districts or to the county office, as specified in subdivision (b), shall be negotiated by the entity desiring to lease the vacant classrooms and the governing board. Any entity eligible to lease vacant classrooms pursuant to this section and any governing board may negotiate lease payments prior to the availability of the vacant classrooms.

(2) The lease payments shall not exceed the district’s actual costs for maintenance, operation, and custodial services for the leased classrooms.

(3) If more than one governing board offers to lease classrooms, the entity desiring to lease such classrooms may elect to negotiate either individually with each district, or jointly, with some or all of such districts. If the entity elects joint negotiations, the lease payments shall not exceed the participating districts’ average actual costs for maintenance, operation, and custodial services for the leased classrooms.

(g) If the governing board and the entity desiring to lease the classrooms are unable to complete negotiations for the lease and arrive at a mutually satisfactory lease within the same 60-day period that the entity has to inform the governing board of its intent to lease or not lease, the governing board may lease the classrooms in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(h) If vacant classrooms are available in both operating and nonoperating schools, the governing board, prior to adopting a resolution of intent to lease, shall consider which school would provide the environment least restrictive to the needs of handicapped pupils or individuals with exceptional needs, as appropriate, for whom the county superintendent or public education agency provides special education programs.

(Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 277, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative January 1, 1998.)