115C-518. Disposition of school property; easements and rights-of-way.

(a) When in the opinion of any local board of education the use of any building site or other real property or personal property owned or held by the board is unnecessary or undesirable for public school purposes, the local board of education may dispose of such according to the procedures prescribed in General Statutes, Chapter 160A, Article 12, or any successor provisions thereto. Provided, when any real property to which the board holds title is no longer suitable or necessary for public school purposes, the board of county commissioners for the county in which the property is located shall be afforded the first opportunity to obtain the property. The board of education shall offer the property to the board of commissioners at a fair market price or at a price negotiated between the two boards. If the board of commissioners does not choose to obtain the property as offered, the board of education may dispose of such property according to the procedure as herein provided. Provided that no State or federal regulations would prohibit such action. For the purposes of this section references in Chapter 160A, Article 12, to the "city," the "council," or a specific city official are deemed to refer, respectively, to the school administrative unit, the board of education, and the school administrative official who most nearly performs the same duties performed by the specified city official. A local board of education may also sell any property other than real property through the facilities of the North Carolina Department of Administration. The proceeds of any sale of real property or from any lease for a term of over one year shall be applied to reduce the county's bonded indebtedness for the school administrative unit disposing of such real property or for capital outlay purposes.

(b) In addition to the foregoing, local boards of education are hereby authorized and empowered, in their sound discretion, to grant easements to any public utility, municipality or quasi-municipal corporations to furnish utility services, with or without compensation except the benefits accruing by virtue of the location of the said public utility, and to dedicate portions of any lands owned by such boards as rights-of-way for public streets, roads or sidewalks, with or without compensation except the benefits accruing by virtue of the location or improvement of such public streets, roads or sidewalks.

(c) Any sale, exchange or lease of real or personal property by any local board of education prior to June 18, 1982, and pursuant to the authority of G.S. 115-126 is hereby validated, ratified and confirmed.