1. (1) For the purpose of constructing and maintaining facilities of a cooperative service agency, a properly constituted cooperative service agency may request from its member school districts additional funding to be furnished by a tax levy not to exceed four-tenths of one percent (.4%) of market value for assessment purposes in each year, as such valuation existed on December 31, of the previous year, for a period not to exceed three (3) years. Such levy shall be authorized by an election held in each of the school districts pursuant to chapter 4, title 33 , Idaho Code. The question of a levy to be submitted to the electors of each member school district and the notice of such election shall state the dollar amount proposed to be collected each year during the period of years in each of which the collection is proposed to be made, the percentage of votes in favor of the proposal which are needed to approve the proposed dollar amount to be collected, and the purposes for which such funds shall be used. Said notice shall be given, the election shall be conducted and the returns canvassed as provided in chapter 4, title 33 , Idaho Code; and the dollar amount to be collected shall be approved only if:

   1. (a) Fifty-five percent (55%) of the district electors voting in such election are in favor thereof if the levy will result in a total levy for school plant facilities of less than two-tenths of one percent (.2%) of market value for assessment purposes as such valuation existed on December 31 of the year immediately preceding the election;
   2. (b) Sixty percent (60%) of the district electors voting in such election are in favor thereof if the levy will result in a total levy for school plant facilities of two-tenths of one percent (.2%) or more and less than three-tenths of one percent (.3%) of market value for assessment purposes as such valuation existed on December 31 of the year immediately preceding the election; or

   3. (c) Two-thirds (2/3) of the district electors voting in such election are in favor thereof if the levy will result in a total levy for school plant facilities of three-tenths of one percent (.3%) or more of market value for assessment purposes as such valuation existed on December 31 of the year immediately preceding the election.

      If the question be approved, each member school district of the cooperative service agency may make a levy, not to exceed four-tenths of one percent (.4%) of market value for assessment purposes as such valuation existed on December 31 of the previous year, in each year for which the collection was approved, sufficient to collect the dollar amount approved and may again submit the question at the expiration of the period of such levy, for the dollar amount to be collected during each year, and the number of years which the board may at that time determine. Or, during the period approved at any such election, if such period be less than three (3) years or the levy be less than four-tenths of one percent (.4%) of market value for assessment purposes as such valuation existed on December 31 of the previous year, the cooperative service agency may request that its member school districts submit to the qualified school district electors in the same manner as before, the question whether the number of years, not to exceed three (3), or the levy, or both, be increased, but not to exceed the maximum herein authorized. If such increase or increases be approved by the electors, the terms of such levy shall be in lieu of those approved in the first instance, but disapproval shall not affect any terms theretofore in effect.

2. (2) Physical construction may commence once moneys equal to the estimated cost of constructing the facility have been collected by the cooperative service agency, except that the cooperative service agency may commence physical construction before moneys equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the estimated cost of constructing the facility have been collected as long as language is included in the instructions to bidders reflecting the following:

   1. (a) Providing notice of the funding method and schedule;
   2. (b) Clearly stating that if all moneys are not collected according to the schedule provided, the contractor may not be paid in a timely manner and such contractor will have to await payment until the necessary moneys are collected, but in no event shall such contractor have to await payment longer than three (3) years from the date of the contractor’s last pay request;
   3. (c) Stating that the cooperative service agency accepts no liability and will pay no interest on unpaid balances;
   4. (d) Stating that should an inability to pay occur after the fifty percent (50%) completion point of the project, the contractor must complete the project irrespective of payment status; and
   5. (e) Stating that if an inability to pay occurs before the fifty percent (50%) completion point, the contractor has the option to suspend work, receiving no compensation for delay, and restart the project when funding becomes available.
3. (3) If one (1) or more of the member districts fails to approve the tax levy in such election, the cooperative service agency may construct the facility through the support of the member districts approving the levy, but in no event shall the levy limits authorized in this section be exceeded.
4. (4) Nothing shall prevent a member district that initially failed to approve the levy from conducting a subsequent election, held pursuant to chapter 4, title 33, Idaho Code, to authorize that district’s participation in construction of the facility.
5. (5) The administration and accounting of moneys received by imposition of the levy provided for in this section shall be the same as provided in section 33-317(2), Idaho Code.

[33-317A, added 2009, ch. 220, sec. 2, p. 685; am. 2011, ch. 189, sec. 1, p. 540.]