Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, § 2414: Facilities, 2011

1. Facilities; property. A public charter school may acquire facilities and property in accordance with this subsection. A. A public charter school has a right of first refusal to purchase or lease at or below fair market value a closed noncharter public school facility or property or unused portions of a noncharter public school facility or property located in a school administrative unit from which it draws its students if the school administrative unit decides to sell or lease the noncharter public school facility or property. The school administrative unit may not require purchase or lease payments that exceed the fair market value of the property. [PL 2011, c. 414, §5 (NEW).] B. A public charter school may negotiate and contract with a school administrative unit, the governing body of a state college or university or public community college or any other public or for-profit or nonprofit private entity for the use of a school building. [PL 2011, c. 414, §5 (NEW).] C. Library, community service, museum, performing arts, theater, cinema, church, community college, college and university facilities may provide space to public charter schools within their facilities under their preexisting zoning and land use designations. [PL 2011, c. 414, §5 (NEW).] D. A public charter school may purchase or lease at or below fair market value part or all of any surplus or unused state-owned facility or property located in the State. The state agency in control of the facility may not require purchase or lease payments that exceed the fair market value of the property. [PL 2011, c. 414, §5 (NEW).] E. The same zoning rules that apply to other noncharter public schools apply to public charter schools. [PL 2011, c. 414, §5 (NEW).] [PL 2011, c. 414, §5 (NEW).] 2. Inspection; building code. The municipality in which a facility of a public charter school is located is the agency that has jurisdiction for the purposes of inspection of the facility and issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the facility. If the facility is located in an unorganized area of the State, the county has jurisdiction for those purposes. A facility of a public charter school is subject to the same building codes, regulations and fees that apply to other noncharter public schools. [PL 2011, c. 414, §5 (NEW).] 3. Taxes. A facility, or portion thereof, used to house a public charter school is exempt from property taxes. [PL 2011, c. 414, §5 (NEW).]