Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-14-108

operation - Governing board - Levy elections - Estimate of needs -

Appropriation accounts - Annexation and detachment of territory -

Classification, inspection and accreditation - Treasurer - Transfer

of tenure or accrued benefits.

A. The State Board of Career and Technology Education shall

prescribe criteria and procedures for the establishment and

governance of technology center school districts, as provided by

Section 9B of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution, and such

districts so established shall be operated in accordance with rules

of the State Board of Career and Technology Education, except as

otherwise provided in this title.

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B. A technology center 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 Career and Technology 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.

C. The governing board of a technology center school district

shall be a board of education consisting of not less than five (5)

nor more than seven (7) members. Except as otherwise provided for

in subsections D and E of this section, all members of the board of

education shall be elected in a manner prescribed by the State Board

of Career and Technology Education. The State Board shall

promulgate rules prescribing the manner in which the elections

required by this subsection are held.

D. In a technology center school district that serves seventy

or more public school districts, the territory of the school

district shall be divided into district zones by the State Board of

Career and Technology Education. Between August 1 and December 31

of the year following the submission by the United States Department

of Commerce to the President of the United States of the official

Federal Decennial Census, the Board shall reapportion the territory

of the technology center school district into district zones. All

boundaries of district zones shall follow clearly visible,

definable, and observable physical boundaries which are based upon

criteria established and recognized by the Bureau of the Census of

the United States Department of Commerce for purposes of defining

census blocks for its decennial census and shall follow, as much as

possible, precinct boundaries. District zones shall be compact,

contiguous and shall be as equal in population as practical with not

more than a five-percent variance between the most populous and

least populous district zones. The board of education of a

technology center school district shall consist of one member

elected from each of the district zones of the school district

created pursuant to this subsection. The electors of each district

zone shall elect a person, who is a resident of the district zone,

to represent the district zone on the school board. If during the

term of office to which a person was elected, that member ceases to

be a resident of the district zone for which the person was elected,

the office shall become vacant and the vacancy shall be filled as

provided in Section 13A-110 of Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

The State Board of Career and Technology Education shall promulgate

rules prescribing the manner in which the elections required by this

subsection are held.

E. In technology center school districts having a population of

more than two hundred twenty-five thousand (225,000) electors, the

territory of the district shall be divided into board zones by the

State Board of Career and Technology Education. The board of

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 645

education of the technology center school district shall consist of

one member elected from each of the district zones. Beginning July

1, 2024, the board of education shall have the option upon approval
0) electors, the

territory of the district shall be divided into board zones by the

State Board of Career and Technology Education. The board of

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 645

education of the technology center school district shall consist of

one member elected from each of the district zones. Beginning July

1, 2024, the board of education shall have the option upon approval

of a board resolution, of requiring that the electors of each

district zone shall elect a person who is a resident of the district

zone to represent the district zone on the school board and to not

elect all board members at large, or the community continues to vote

for the board members at large. If during the term of office to

which a person was elected, that member ceases to be a resident of

the district zone for which the person was elected, the office shall

become vacant, and the vacancy shall be filled as provided for in

Section 13A-110 of Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The State

Board of Career and Technology Education shall promulgate rules

prescribing the manner in which the elections required by this

subsection are held.

F. The board of education of a technology center school

district 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.

G. 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 a technology center school district under the provisions

of subsection A of Section 9B of Article X of the 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 subsection (d) of Section 9 of Article X of the

Oklahoma Constitution, are called and conducted. When such levy is

approved by a majority of the electors of the technology center

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 a

technology center 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 of Article X of the 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.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 646

H. Annual estimates of needs of technology center 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 Career and Technology Education shall

prescribe a list of appropriation accounts by which the funds of

technology center 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 a technology center school district lies in more than one

county, the district’s estimate of needs shall be filed with 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 a technology center 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.

I. Territory may be annexed to or detached from a technology

center school district, in accordance with rules prescribed by the

State Board of Career and Technology Education. If the State Board

of Career and Technology 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 a technology center

school district, such petition shall not be required to bear a

number of technology center school district electors’ signatures

which exceed fifty percent (50%) of the number of technology center

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.

J. Schools of technology center school districts shall be

subject to classification, inspection, and accreditation by the

State Board of Education.

K. The technology center school board of education may

designate a county treasurer to serve as treasurer of the school

district or may appoint an independent treasurer.

L. Within four (4) years after the creation of a technology

center school district, such 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 technology center 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 technology center school district or is

employed as a teacher in a skills center within the boundaries of

the school district.

M. The board of education of a technology center school

district may convey surplus personal property without consideration

to:

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1. A school district that is within the boundary of the

technology center school district;

2. A public school offering secondary level education which was

created and is operated by this state and that is within the

boundary of the technology center school district;

3. A technology center school district; or

4. The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education

for the support or delivery of department initiatives.

N. The board of education of a technology center school

district may, without prior approval of the State Board of Career

and Technology Education, approve all plans and specifications for

technology center school buildings, additions, and major

modifications to school buildings that are designed to provide for

the offering of vocational-technical education programs and services

when the cost of the building project is to be paid with local

levies or state bond monies or both local levies and state bond

monies.