1. A. The State Board of Vocational and Technical Education shall prescribe criteria and procedures for establishing area vocational-technical school districts and the government thereof, as provided by Section 9B, Article X, Oklahoma Constitution, and such districts so established shall be operated in accordance with rules and regulations of the State Board of Vocational and Technical Education, except as otherwise provided in this title.
2. B. An area vocational-technical school district shall be a body corporate and shall possess the usual powers of a corporation for public purposes. Its official name shall be designated by the State Board of Vocational and Technical Education, in which name it may sue and be sued, and be capable of contracting and being contracted with, and holding real and personal estate. Its governing board shall be a board of education consisting of not less than five (5) nor more than seven (7) members elected in a manner prescribed by the State Board of Vocational and Technical Education. Such board of education shall have the same powers and duties that boards of education of independent school districts have. It may require nonresident students to pay reasonable tuition fees, which may be paid for a student by the independent or elementary school district in which the student resides.
3. C. An election to vote on the question of making a levy of not to exceed five (5) mills on the dollar valuation of the taxable property in an area school district under the provisions of subsection A, Section 9B, Article X, Oklahoma Constitution, shall be called by the board of education and conducted by the county election board of such district in the same manner that elections for emergency levies in school districts under the provisions of Section 9(d), Article X, Oklahoma Constitution, are called and conducted. When such levy is approved by a majority of the electors of the area school district voting on the question at such election, the levy shall be made each fiscal year thereafter until repealed by a majority of the electors of the district voting on the question at an election called for such purpose. An election to vote on the question of making a local incentive levy of not to exceed five (5) mills on the dollar valuation of the taxable property in an area school district under the provisions of subsection B of Section 9B of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution, may be called by the board of education; and elections on a levy for a building fund for an area school district under the provisions of Section 10, Article X, Oklahoma Constitution, shall be called by the board of education of such district and conducted by the county election board in the same manner that elections for similar levies are called and conducted in independent school districts.
4. D. Annual estimates of needs of area school districts shall be made and approved in the same manner that those of independent school districts are made and approved. Provided, that the State Board of Vocational and Technical Education shall prescribe a list of appropriation accounts by which the funds of area school districts shall be budgeted, accounted for and expended. Any such estimate of needs may include an estimate of federal funds as probable income from sources other than ad valorem tax of the district and other than any excise or other tax assessed by legislative enactment and distributed in lieu of ad valorem taxes. If an area school district lies in more than one county, the district's estimate of needs shall be filed with and approved by the county excise board of the county designated by the school district board of education.
5. E. Territory may be annexed to or detached from an area school district, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the State Board of Vocational and Technical Education. If the State Board of Vocational and Technical Education requires the submission of a petition in order for an election to be called for the purpose of annexation or deannexation of territory to an area school district, such petition shall not be required to bear a number of school district electors' signatures which exceed fifty percent (50%) of the number of school district electors who voted in the last school board election in the territory proposed to be annexed or deannexed. Provided, the period of time from which the petition is initiated to its time of filing with the State Board shall not exceed ninety (90) days.
6. F. Schools of area school districts shall be subject to classification, inspection and accreditation by the State Board of Education.
7. G. The area vocational and technical school board of education may designate a county treasurer to serve as treasurer of the school district or may appoint an independent treasurer.
8. H. Within four (4) years after the creation of an area school district, such area school district may, at its discretion, permit a teacher to transfer any or all accrued benefits upon employment including credit for years of service in the previous school district by the area school district, if the teacher at the time of hiring is employed as a teacher by an independent or elementary school district which is all or partly within the boundaries of the area school district or is employed as a teacher in a skills center within the boundaries of the area school district.
9. I. For the 1991-92 school year the formula used to distribute state equalization funds to area vocational-technical schools shall be the same formula that was used to distribute equalization funds in the 1989-90 school year. Provided, for the 1991-92 school year any area vocational-technical school given special designation by the State Board of Vocational and Technical Education prior to January 1, 1990, for funding purposes due to location, partially or entirely, within the boundary of a college area vocational-technical district shall receive state vocational-technical program formula and equalization formula funding. Provided, such designated district's participation in equalization formula funding shall be limited to funds used in the state equalization formula program for the 1991-92 school year above the level of funds used in the 1989-90 school year.

Laws 1971, HB 1155, c. 281, § 14-108; Amended by Laws 1975, HB 1310, c. 134, § 1, emerg. eff. May 19, 1975; Amended by Laws 1979, SB 329, c. 193, § 1, emerg. eff. May 17, 1979; Amended by Laws 1980, HB 1790, c. 93, § 1, emerg. eff. April 9, 1980; Amended by Laws 1982, HB 1895, c. 257, § 1, emerg. eff. July 1, 1982; Amended by Laws 1988, HB 1935, c. 90, § 21; Amended by Laws 1990, SB 770, c. 263, § 152; Amended by Laws 1991, HB 1239, c. 281, § 10, eff. July 1, 1991; Amended by Laws 1991, HB 1762, c. 335, § 25, emerg. eff. June 15, 1991.