In addition to any powers granted the board under this chapter, the board shall have authority to make apportionments to school districts for the purchase of sites and construction or purchase of temporary and portable buildings thereon, or for the construction alone, and for the cost of site preparation, including necessary utility costs, in connection with their utilization. The board may establish standards in conjunction with the State Department of Education pertaining to said sites and facilities as a condition of making the apportionments.

In addition, the board may expend moneys from the State School Building Aid Fund directly for the construction, acquisition, storage, maintenance and repair of the buildings, and administrative costs relating thereto. In the event the board may lease, sell or transfer under a lease-purchase agreement the buildings to eligible school districts or to county superintendents of schools. Any agreements with school districts may provide for the payment by the state of site preparation costs, including necessary utility costs, sufficient to permit the utilization of the facilities. Any building leased for placement on the school property or under a purchase or a lease-purchase agreement shall be deemed the construction or alteration of a school building as those terms are defined in Sections 17280 to 17313, inclusive. The consideration payable by either school districts or county superintendents for the facilities shall, as nearly as practicable, reflect an amount which would render to the state a fair return, as determined by the board, on its investment in said facilities and expenditures connected with their utilization, in the light of the benefits conferred by the agreement pertaining thereto.

The county superintendent of schools may contract with eligible school districts respecting and transfer to them by lease, lease-purchase or sale, facilities acquired by him or her from the board, provided that the agreements are not inconsistent with the rights of the state under any agreement between the superintendent and the board respecting the property. Repayments to the state as due shall be made by the county superintendent from the funds received from the affected school districts, and, if necessary to make the same when due, from the county school service fund, upon which he or she is authorized to draw requisitions for this purpose. The fund shall be reimbursed for the withdrawals from any payments made by the affected districts to the county superintendent not required when made for the discharge of any obligations of the county superintendent hereunder to the state.

No transfer of any property acquired directly by the board to any school district by lease or otherwise shall be made either by the board or county superintendents without the approval of the State Department of Education solely as to (1) the property to be transferred, including incidental construction, if any, connected therewith, (2) whether the same shall be by lease or sale, and (3) if less than a sale, the term of the lease, including any contingent or indefinite term.

The board, affected school districts, and county superintendents of schools are authorized to do any and all things necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. Payments required of any affected school districts under any agreement entered into pursuant to this section shall be made promptly when due. Whenever the board deems it economically desirable in the state’s interest to do so, it may dispose of any facilities directly acquired by it to any public or private parties in the manner and under the terms as it deems best, providing that the disposition is not inconsistent with any agreements previously entered into under this section.

The term “eligible school districts” as used in this section, shall be deemed to refer to those districts which at the time an agreement contemplated hereunder is entered into would upon proper application have been eligible to receive an apportionment under this chapter, provided that solely for the purpose of determining the eligibility the board, or the county superintendent of schools in agreements with districts hereunder, may waive construction area restrictions pertaining to apportionments under this chapter.

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