Before the board approves an application for a furniture or equipment project, or an application for a new construction project, including furniture and equipment, and after consultation with the State Department of Education, it shall establish current furniture and equipment cost standards. Such standards shall not exceed the quantity and quality of furniture and equipment for comparable facilities purchased by school districts not receiving or not eligible for an apportionment under this chapter. Such standards shall consist of equipment costs for each type of classroom or pupil station which represents a differential in costs. The standards shall be reviewed quarterly by the board and adjustments made in accordance with current cost standards. When standards have been adopted by the board, no apportionment shall be made by the board in excess of such standards unless a rapid increase in costs warrants an adjustment.

Before the board approves an application for furniture and equipment in connection with an application for the replacement of, reconstruction of, alteration of, or addition to, a school building, the State Department of Education, after full consideration of all the furniture and equipment existing in the applicant district that is in usable condition, shall recommend the amount that shall be approved in the application. The board may approve all or a portion of the amount so recommended.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 277, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative January 1, 1998.)