1. (a) A school corporation or the public education corporation may lease a school building or buildings for the use of:

   1. (1) the school corporation or public education corporation; or

   2. (2) a joint or consolidated school district of which the school corporation is a part or to which it contributes;

      for a term not to exceed thirty (30) years.

2. (b) A school corporation or the public education corporation may not enter into a lease under this section unless the governing body or the corporation board, after investigation, determines that a need exists for the school building and that the school corporation or public education corporation cannot provide the necessary funds to pay the cost or its proportionate share of the cost of the school building or buildings required to meet the present needs.

3. (c) If two (2) or more school corporations propose to jointly enter into a lease under this section, joint meetings of the governing bodies of the school corporations may be held, but action taken at a joint meeting is not binding on any of those school corporations unless approved by a majority of the governing body of those school corporations. A lease executed by two (2) or more school corporations as joint lessees must:

   1. (1) set out the amount of the total lease rental to be paid by each lessee, which may be as agreed upon; and

   2. (2) provide that:

      1. (A) there is no right of occupancy by any lessee unless the total rental is paid as stipulated in the lease; and

      2. (B) all rights of joint lessees under the lease are in proportion to the amount of lease rental paid by each lessee.

         [Pre-2006 Recodification Citation: 21-5-11-1 part.]

As added by P.L.2-2006, SEC.170. Amended by P.L.233-2015, SEC.304; P.L.101-2026, SEC.25.