115C-443. Investment of idle cash.

(a) A local school administrative unit may deposit at interest or invest all or part of the cash balance of any fund. The finance officer shall manage investments subject to whatever restrictions and directions the board of education may impose. The finance officer shall have the power to purchase, sell, and exchange securities on behalf of the board of education. The investment program shall be so managed that investments and deposits can be converted into cash when needed.

(b) Moneys may be deposited at interest at any bank, savings and loan association, or trust company in this State in the form of certificates of deposit or such other forms of time deposit as the Local Government Commission may approve. Investment deposits shall be secured as provided in G.S. 115C-444(b).

(c) Moneys may be invested in the following classes of securities, and no others:

(1) Obligations of the United States of America.

(2) Obligations of any agency or instrumentality of the United States of America if the payment of interest and principal of such obligations is fully guaranteed by the United States of America.

(3) Obligations of the State of North Carolina.

(4) Bonds and notes of any North Carolina local government or public authority, subject to such restrictions as the Secretary of the Local Government Commission may impose.

(5) Shares of any savings and loan association organized under the laws of this State and shares of any federal savings and loan association having its principal office in this State, to the extent that the investment in such shares is fully insured by the United States of America or an agency thereof or by any mutual deposit guaranty association authorized by the Commissioner of Insurance of North Carolina to do business in North Carolina pursuant to Article 7A of Chapter 54 of the General Statutes.

(6) Obligations maturing no later than 18 months after the date of purchase of the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Fannie Mae, the Banks for Cooperatives, and the Federal Land Banks.

(7) Any form of investment allowed by law to the State Treasurer.

(8) Any form of investment allowed by G.S. 159-30 to local governments and public authorities.

(d) Investment securities may be bought, sold, and traded by private negotiation, and local school administrative units may pay all incidental costs thereof and all reasonable cost of administering the investment and deposit program. Securities and deposit certificates shall be in the custody of the finance officer who shall be responsible for their safekeeping and for keeping accurate investment accounts and records.

(e) Interest earned on deposits and investments shall be credited to the fund whose cash is deposited or invested. Cash of several funds may be combined for deposit or investment if not otherwise prohibited by law; and when such joint deposits or investments are made, interest earned shall be prorated and credited to the various funds on the basis of the amounts thereof invested, figured according to an average periodic balance or some other sound accounting principle. Interest earned on the deposit or investment of bond funds shall be deemed a part of the bond proceeds.

(f) Registered securities acquired for investment may be released from registration and transferred by signature of the finance officer.

(g) It is the intent of this Article that the foregoing provisions of this section shall apply only to those funds received by the local school administrative unit as required by G.S. 115C-437. The county finance officer shall be responsible for the investment of all county funds allocated to the local school administrative unit prior to such county funds actually being remitted to the school finance officer as provided by G.S. 115C-437.