MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                          919

44. Transfer of property to boards; property held in trust.

All the property, estate, effects, money, funds, claims, and State
donations heretofore vested by law in the public school authorities,
for the benefit of public schools are transferred to and vested in the
boards of education, and their successors in office. Real and personal
estate granted, conveyed, devised, or bequeathed for the use of any
particular school or school system shall be held in trust by the board
of education for the benefit of such school or school system.

45.    Property held in trust.

Real and personal estate granted, conveyed, devised or bequeathed
for the use of any particular school or school system shall be held
in trust by the boards of education for the benefit of such school or
school system, and such grants and bequests shall be exempt from
all State and local taxes.

46.    Certain money exempt from taxation.

Moneys invested in trust for the benefit of the public schools for
any county or city shall be exempt from State, county and local taxes.

47.    Construction of school buildings; acquisition and sale of school

sites.

(a)    School Grounds and Buildings.—The county boards of edu-
cation are authorized and empowered, with the approval of the State
Superintendent of Schools, to purchase or otherwise acquire, or to
sell or otherwise dispose of grounds, school sites, or buildings; or
to rent, repair, improve and construct school buildings or to approve
contracts for so doing, provided that the plans conform to the bylaws,
rules and regulations of the State Board of Education and are ap-
proved by the State Superintendent of Schools, as provided for in
Section 26 of this Article. WHEN THE COUNTY BOARDS OF
EDUCATION, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE STATE SUPER-
INTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, SHALL DETERMINE THAT
GROUNDS, SCHOOL SITES, OR BUILDINGS ARE NO LONGER
NEEDED FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES, THEY SHALL BE TRANS-
FERRED BY THE COUNTY BOARDS TO THE COUNTY COM-
MISSIONERS OR COUNTY COUNCIL AND MAY BE UTILIZED,
SOLD, LEASED, OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF (EXCEPT BY
GIFT) BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OR COUNTY
COUNCIL.

(b)    Cooperation with planning agencies.—In those counties
where there is a commission or agency having legal responsibility
for county planning for land use, the county board of education shall
utilize the services of CONSULT WITH such commission or agency
and request its advice in the selection of land for school sites. Such
site shall conform as far as practicable to development plans for land
use in the county.

Whenever a county board of education shall have given prelim-
inary approval of a school building site, the board, of its own motion,
if it deems it desirable or upon written petition of not less than one
hundred adult residents of the county or upon request