1. (a)

   1. (1) The State Board of Education is authorized to establish a statewide system of not more than fifteen (15) multicounty education service cooperatives of school districts.

   2. (2) Such education service cooperatives:

      1. (A) Shall be intermediate service units in the state’s elementary and secondary education system; and
      2. (B) As such, shall be eligible to receive and expend funds from:

2. (i) State and federal governments;

   1. (ii) School districts; and

      1. (iii) Other public or private sources.

3. (b) Education service cooperatives established by The Education Service Cooperative Act of 1985, Arkansas Code § 6-13-1001 et seq., will provide to school districts that choose to use them assistance in:

   1. (1) Meeting or exceeding accreditation standards and equalizing educational opportunities;
   2. (2) Using educational resources more effectively through cooperation among school districts; and

   3. (3) Promoting coordination between school districts and the Department of Education in order to provide services that are consistent with the:

      1. (A) Needs identified by school districts; and
      2. (B) Educational priorities of the state as established by the General Assembly or the state board.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules contained the following at the end of the section: "Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 6-13-1002".