Section 20-2-272. Agency board of control; membership; powers and duties; planning boards

   (a) Each regional educational service agency shall be governed by a board of control. On and after July 1, 2000, the school superintendent of each member school system, the president or highest administrator of each member postsecondary institution, and a local public or regional library director appointed by the director of the Office of Public Library Services of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia shall serve as the board of control.

(b) All laws and the policies and regulations of the State Board of Education applicable to local school systems and local boards of education shall be applicable, when appropriate, to the regional educational service agencies and their boards of control unless explicitly stated otherwise in this part. No board of control shall levy or collect any taxes. No board of control shall expend or contract to expend any funds beyond the amount of funds that the board of control is legally authorized to receive and will, in fact, receive, except as otherwise provided in this part. Each board of control shall submit an annual report and an annual budget to the state board, in the manner prescribed by the state board, for review and approval.

(c) The State Board of Education shall be responsible for assuring that the activities of each regional educational service agency and its board of control established under this part conform to both the Constitution and laws of Georgia, as well as the policies and regulations of the state board.

(d) Boards of control shall determine the assistance needed by local school systems in the area served by each regional educational service agency, establish priorities from those needs, and allocate resources accordingly. Boards of control shall annually review the effectiveness and efficiency of such agencies. Boards of control shall determine the procedures and activities by which each regional educational service agency achieves locally established objectives and shall establish job descriptions, personnel qualifications, and work schedules consistent with locally established priorities and objectives.

(e) In the event the State Board of Education adopts a policy to reorganize the service areas of regional educational service agencies pursuant to Code Section 20-2-270 effective July 1 of a fiscal year, members of boards of control during the preceding fiscal year shall constitute planning boards for the respective service areas to be established the ensuing July 1. Each planning board shall have the authority to establish the location or locations of the office or offices of its regional educational service agency effective the ensuing July 1, to issue contracts with a director and other agency staff to be employed effective the ensuing fiscal year, to assess the needs of all potential member local school systems, to prepare operational plans and budgets for the ensuing fiscal year, to establish the manner by which the local share of the budget will be assessed to potential member local school systems, and to make any other such decisions that the state board deems necessary for an orderly transition of service areas for regional educational service agencies. Such decisions shall be adopted by these planning boards prior to December 15 of the fiscal year preceding the effective date for reorganization of the service areas. Any such planning board shall be authorized to amend, prior to April 15 of that fiscal year, any such decisions which are necessary as the result of the actions of the General Assembly during its regular session during that fiscal year.

Code 1981, § 20-2-272, enacted by Ga. L. 1985, p. 1657, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1169, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 1340, § 2; Ga. L. 1996, p. 1062, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 618, § 47.