This bill establishes a School Cooperative Purchasing Program in New Hampshire, allowing multiple school districts and school administrative units (SAUs) to collaborate on the procurement of goods and services to achieve cost savings and administrative efficiencies. The program will be managed by the director of procurement and support services in consultation with the Department of Education, which will solicit competitive bids for essential K-12 educational expenses. The bill includes new legal language that ensures voluntary participation by school districts and chartered public schools in state-awarded contracts, while also mandating that school boards adopt specific policies related to operational aspects such as recruitment, budgeting, and anti-discrimination measures. Importantly, participation in the cooperative agreements is not mandatory, preserving local control.

Additionally, the bill introduces a receivership process for underperforming schools, requiring school boards to adopt policies related to sexual harassment, including definitions and complaint procedures. It mandates the development of turnaround plans for schools placed into receivership by the state board of education, which will oversee necessary reforms. The bill deletes previous language that may have limited the scope of school boards' responsibilities regarding these policies. Overall, the bill aims to enhance operational efficiency and accountability within SAUs while maintaining compliance with existing laws, although its fiscal impact remains indeterminable due to potential strains on state resources.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 21-N:9, 186:8
As Amended by the Senate: 189:1-a, 194-C:5, 186:8
SB580 text: 21-N:9, 186:8