(1) Each district school board may submit, prior to August 1 of each year, a request to the commissioner for funds from the Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund to construct, remodel, or renovate an educational facility within the industrial environment. No district school board may apply for more than one facility per year. Such request shall contain the following provisions:

(a) A detailed description of the satellite site, the site development necessary for new construction, remodeling, or renovation for the accomplishment of the project, and the facility to be constructed. The facility shall be located on a site owned by the business and leased to the district school board at no cost. However, the minimum agreement shall be for a period of at least 5 years. The amounts provided by the state and the district school board shall be considered full consideration for the lease. If the lease agreement is terminated early, the business shall reimburse the district school board an amount determined by multiplying the amounts contributed by the district school board and the state by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of months remaining in the original agreement and the denominator of which is the total number of months of the agreement.

(b) A detailed description and analysis of the educational programs to be offered and the benefits that will accrue to the students through the instructional programs upon completion of the facility.

(c) The estimated number of full-time students whose regularly scheduled daily instructional program will utilize the facility.

(d) The estimated cost of the facility and site development not to exceed the department’s average cost of new construction adjusted to the respective county cost index. If a site must be acquired, the estimated cost of the site shall be provided.

(e) A resolution or other appropriate indication of intent to participate in the funding and utilization of the educational facility from private industry. Such indication shall include a commitment by private industry to provide at least one-half of the cost of the facility. The district school board shall provide one-fourth of the cost of the facility, and, if approved, the state shall provide one-fourth of the cost of the facility. Funds from the Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund may not be expended on any project unless specifically authorized by the Legislature.

(f) The designation as to which agency is to assume responsibility for the operation, maintenance, and control of the proposed facility.

(g) Documentation by the district school board that a long-term lease for the use of the educational facility for a period of not less than 40 years or the life expectancy of the permanent facility constructed thereon, whichever is longer, has been obtained from private industry.

(2) The commissioner shall appoint a review committee to make recommendations and prioritize requests. If the project is approved by the commissioner, the commissioner shall include up to one-fourth of the cost of the project in the legislative capital outlay budget request, as provided in s. 1013.60, for the funding of capital outlay projects involving both educational and private industry. The commissioner shall prioritize any such projects for each fiscal year and, notwithstanding the provisions of s. 1013.64(3)(e), limit the recommended state funding amount not to exceed 5 percent off the top of the total funds recommended pursuant to s. 1013.64(2) and (3).

(3) Facilities funded pursuant to this section and all existing satellite facilities shall be exempt from ad valorem taxes as long as the facility is used exclusively for public educational purposes.

History.—s. 855, ch. 2002-387; s. 30, ch. 2017-116.