Article 5. Outdoor Science, Conservation, And Forestry of California Education Code >> Division 1. >> Title 1. >> Part 6. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 5.

(a) The governing board of any school district may do the following:
  (1) Conduct programs and classes in outdoor science education and conservation education within or without the boundaries of the district and for that purpose employ instructors, supervisors, and other personnel and provide necessary equipment and supplies.
  (2) Acquire and maintain real or personal property needed for outdoor science education and conservation education programs and classes either within or without the boundaries of the district either by purchase, rental, lease, gift, or other means in the same manner as if the property were within the boundaries of the school district.
  (3) Contract with the United States, the State of California, any city, county, city and county or school district therein, or any combination thereof, for the joint operation and maintenance of these programs and classes in outdoor science education and conservation education or for assistance in their operation and maintenance.
  (4) Transport or arrange transportation of pupils, instructors, supervisors, or other personnel to or from places where these programs and classes are being conducted, whether within or without the district; provided, the transportation is within the state.
  (b) The governing board of any school district may contract with an outside provider for the services of naturalists. The services provided by the naturalists shall be under the exclusive control and management of the governing board of the school district and shall comply with all guidelines established by the Superintendent of Public Instruction relating to outdoor educational programs. Any naturalist under contract with the governing board of a school district pursuant to this section and all services provided by a naturalist shall be under the supervision of a certificated employee of the school district. Any naturalist assigned to serve school districts under an outside contract shall be subject to Sections 45125 and 49406. No person who has been convicted of any sex offense defined in Section 44010, or any controlled substance offense defined in Section 44011, shall be permitted to render service as a naturalist.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, whenever an outdoor science program involves studies in marine science, the governing board of any school district or a county superintendent of schools may transport, or arrange transportation of, pupils, instructors, supervisors, or other personnel aboard U.S. Coast Guard approved vessels in the waters of the Pacific Ocean for distances not to exceed five miles westerly of any offshore island which is a part of the State of California.

The governing board of any school district may:
  (a) Conduct courses in forestry, and for that purpose employ instructors and supervisors of classes, and acquire necessary equipment.
  (b) Acquire forest lands outside the boundary of the district by lease for a period not exceeding five years, or purchase or sell forest lands in the same manner as lands within the boundary of the district are purchased or sold.
  (c) Afforest and reforest, and plant trees, shrubs, and vines on the lands; or upon any public lands which may be placed at its disposal, and enter into contracts and agreements with the government of the United States, the state, or any political subdivision thereof for that purpose.
  (d) Transport pupils, instructors, or supervisors of classes to or from classes or places where the work is being done, whether within or without the district, in the same manner and subject to the same limitations as in transporting pupils to and from school.

The county superintendent of schools may, with the approval of the county board of education, enter into agreements with the governing board of one or more school districts or private schools to provide programs and classes in outdoor science education and conservation education for pupils in the district or private school. Except as otherwise provided in this article, the agreement shall provide for the payment by the district or the private school of the actual cost of providing the programs or classes. The county superintendent of schools shall transfer from the funds of the district or the private school shall pay, as the case may be, to the county school service fund the amounts set forth in the agreement.

The school district or districts entering into agreements pursuant to this article with the county superintendent of schools may agree to make capital outlay expenditures, as well as pay for the other costs of the program. Title to all property acquired by the capital outlay expenditures shall be vested in the office of the county superintendent of schools, and the participating school districts shall have no interest in the property, nor in the proceeds of any sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition of the property, unless the parties otherwise provide in the agreement which authorizes the acquisition of the property.

Except as otherwise provided, all of the powers and duties authorized for governing boards of school districts by Section 8760 are powers and duties of the county superintendent of schools whenever, pursuant to this article, he or she provides programs and classes in outdoor science education and conservation education.

The county superintendent of schools may, with the approval of the county board of education, acquire by gift and maintain real or personal property needed for such programs and classes with title thereto vested in the office of the county superintendent of schools. The school districts or community college districts or private schools participating in such programs and classes shall not be required to reimburse the county superintendent of schools for use of real and personal property which is acquired by gift.

The county superintendent of schools may, with the approval of the county board of education, provide the coordination services authorized by Section 1703 in connection with programs and classes in outdoor science education and conservation education and the participating districts or private schools shall not be required to reimburse the county superintendent for the cost of such coordination services.

Any such agreement between the county superintendent of schools and school districts or community college districts or private schools may provide for the purchase or lease of any real property necessary to conduct classes in outdoor science education and conservation education. If real property is purchased pursuant to such an agreement, title to such real property shall be vested in the office of the county superintendent of schools and the participating school districts, community college districts, or private schools shall have no interest in such property, nor in the proceeds of any sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition of such property, unless the parties otherwise provide in the agreement which authorizes the acquisition of such property.

The county superintendent of schools may, with the approval of the county board of education, lease real or personal property for the purpose of care, teaching, and training of physically handicapped children or children with intellectual disabilities if the property is not required for outdoor science education and conservation education, upon the terms and conditions that are agreed upon.

The county superintendent of schools may, with the approval of the county board of education, convey any real property, title to which is vested in the office of the county superintendent of schools, to the United States of America in exchange for other real property of comparable value, upon such terms and conditions as are agreed upon.

The county superintendent of schools may, with the approval of the county board of education, sell, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of real or personal property, title to which is vested in his or her office, pursuant to the same procedures as are established by law for the sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition of real or personal property by a school district or community college district. Unless otherwise provided in the agreement which authorized the purchase of the real or personal property, the proceeds of any sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition of real or personal property shall be vested in the office of the county superintendent of schools.

All proceeds from the sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition of real or personal property received by the county superintendent of schools pursuant to the provisions of this article shall be used for the purpose of acquiring other real or personal property for use in connection with programs and classes in outdoor science education and conservation education or to pay the cost of conducting such programs and classes. The school districts, community college districts, and private schools participating in such programs and classes shall not be required to reimburse the county superintendent of schools for use of the real or personal property acquired with such funds nor shall they be required to reimburse the county superintendent of schools for any of the costs of conducting such programs and classes which are paid by the county superintendent of schools out of such funds.

If during a period of five consecutive school years, no programs and classes in outdoor science education and conservation education are conducted by the county superintendent of schools pursuant to this article, all real and personal property, title to which is vested in the county superintendent of schools, and all proceeds from the sale, lease, exchange, or other disposition of such real and personal property, shall become part of the county school service fund and may be used for any purpose authorized by the laws applicable to the fund, unless the parties otherwise provide in the agreement which authorizes the acquisition of such property.

(a) A residential outdoor science program shall be eligible for funding pursuant to this section if it meets both of the following conditions:
  (1) It is operated by a school district or county office of education pursuant to this article.
  (2) It meets the standards of the Residential Outdoor Science School (ROSS) Guide and maintains current department ROSS certification.
  (b) An eligible residential outdoor science program may claim apportionment for any pupil who meets all of the following conditions:
  (1) The pupil is enrolled in a California public school.
  (2) The pupil is enrolled in grade 5 or 6.
  (3) The applicant has not previously received funding for the pupil pursuant to this section.
  (4) The pupil participates in a minimum four-day and three-night program.
  (5) The pupil is economically disadvantaged and meets the criteria of Section 49552.
  (c) The Superintendent shall, subject to appropriation of funds for this purpose, apportion to each school district or county office of education that operates a residential outdoor science program pursuant to this article an amount equal to ten dollars ($10) per eligible participating pupil, multiplied by the total number of days of participation, up to a maximum of five days.