Kentucky Revised Statutes Title XIII. Education § 157.069.Distribution of general funds for locally operated secondary area technology centers and vocational departments; management and control of state-operated secondary vocational education and technology center by local board in certain fiscal years

(a) “Secondary area technology center” or “secondary area center” means a school facility dedicated to the primary purpose of offering five (5) or more technical preparation programs that lead to skill development focused on specific occupational areas. An area center may be called a “magnet technology center” or “career center” or may be assigned another working title by the parent agency. An area center may be either state or locally operated; and

(b) “Vocational department” means a portion of a school facility that has five (5) or more technical preparation programs that lead to skill development focused on specific occupational areas.

(b) Category III--High-cost technical programs: Programs in which students develop highly technical skills in specific occupational areas and that require high-cost equipment, materials, and facilities. This category may include selected industrial technology Level III programs as defined by the Department of Education and programs in other occupational areas as deemed appropriate.

(c) Category II--Technical skill programs: Programs in which students develop technical skills focused in occupational areas and that require technical equipment but high-cost equipment, facilities, or materials are not necessary to operate the programs. This category may include selected industrial technology Level III programs as defined by the Department of Education and programs in other occupational areas as deemed appropriate.

(d) Category I--Orientation and career exploration programs: Programs that provide orientation and exploration of broad-based industries by giving students knowledge and experience regarding careers within these industries and develop some exploratory or hands-on skills used in the industry.

(e) Notwithstanding subsection (1)(a) and (b) of this section, the Department of Education shall approve the combining of eligible secondary vocational programs into a single vocational department for purposes of funding for a school district that has been receiving state supplemental funds and has distributed its vocational programs, previously located in area centers, among magnet career academies.

(4) (a) If a school district has a locally operated secondary area center that has been receiving state supplemental funds, and the district moves the center as part of a collaborative project agreement between two (2) or more school districts, then the Kentucky Department of Education may, subject to approval by the commissioner of education, distribute the general funds designated for the district's locally operated secondary area center to the district for the purpose of supporting the collaborative project for the district's full-time equivalent students in Category II and III programs.

(b) If the commissioner of education approves the distribution of funds under paragraph (a) of this subsection:

(a) For the first year under the management and control of the local board of education, the locally operated center shall receive funding in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the annual state general fund appropriation allocated to the center for on-site direct costs for the most recent fiscal year under state management and control, including any amount allocated directly to the local district for use of district-owned facilities;

(b) For each fiscal year thereafter, the center shall receive seventy-five percent (75%) of the amount allocated to it under paragraph (a) of this subsection;

(c) The remaining twenty-five percent (25%) of funds previously allocated to a center as described in paragraph (b) of this subsection shall annually be allocated, in accordance with the formula described in subsection (2) of this section, to locally operated secondary area centers and vocational departments that did not receive state supplemental funds under subsection (2) of this section and were not otherwise appropriated funds by the General Assembly for the current fiscal year;

(d) If no locally operated secondary area centers and vocational departments are eligible for funding under paragraph (c) of this subsection, the remaining twenty-five percent (25%) of funds shall be allocated, in accordance with the formula described in subsection (2) of this section, to all locally operated secondary area centers and vocational departments that received funds for the current fiscal year; and

(e) Locally operated centers described in paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection shall not receive additional funds under paragraph (d) of this subsection.