1. (a) Before a governing body may sell or exchange a building described in this section in accordance with IC 20-25-4-14 , IC 20-26-5-4 (a)(7), or IC 20-26-7-1 , and except as provided in this chapter, a governing body shall make available for lease or purchase to any charter school any school building owned by the school corporation or any other entity that is related in any way to, or created by, the school corporation or the governing body, including but not limited to a building corporation, that:

   1. (1) is vacant or unused; and

   2. (2) was previously used for classroom instruction;

      in order for the charter school to conduct kindergarten through grade 12 classroom instruction.

2. (b) The following are not required to comply with the requirements provided in section 4 of this chapter:

   1. (1) A governing body that vacates a school building in order to:

      1. (A) renovate the school building for future use by the school corporation; or
      2. (B) demolish the school building and build a new school building on the same site as the demolished building.
   2. (2) An emergency manager of a distressed school corporation under IC 6-1.1-20.3 .
   3. (3) The governing body of the School City of East Chicago school corporation for the Carrie Gosch Elementary School building.
3. (c) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a lease entered into by a governing body under IC 20-26-5-4 (a)(7) prior to July 1, 2019, with a state accredited nonpublic school shall remain in full force and effect. In addition, the governing body may, during or at the expiration of the term of such lease, sell the school building leased under IC 20-26-5-4 (a)(7) to the nonpublic school at a purchase price mutually agreed to by the governing body and the nonpublic school.

As added by P.L.270-2019, SEC.13. Amended by P.L.92-2020, SEC.27.