‘4. Rules. The state board may shall adopt or amend rules relating to the approval of school construction projects. The rules must allow the top 12 school administrative units in the department's rating system used to develop any priority lists for funding school construction projects to begin the school construction preplanning process without being penalized under the rating system. For purposes of this section, "school construction preplanning process" includes working with the department and the state board on a collaborative process involving a wide variety of stakeholders, including residents and elected officials within the community in which the school construction project is proposed, to develop a unified vision for the school construction project, which may include contracting with an architect to construct conceptual drawings of the proposed project. "School construction preplanning process" does not include site location, construction documents or actual construction on a proposed school construction project. Costs associated with the development of conceptual drawings by an architect may be reimbursable as a project cost, consistent with department rules, for projects approved by the department. A school administrative unit that engages in a school construction preplanning process in accordance with this subsection may not be accorded any preference in the development by the department of any future priority lists for funding school construction projects. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection relating to the approval of major capital school construction projects under this chapter are major substantive rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A , except that rules relating to the school construction preplanning process are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
The state board is encouraged to review school construction rules regarding costs per square foot, consider other measures for containing building costs and report on these efforts to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters during the First Regular Session of the 115th Legislature. On or before February 1, 1994 the state board shall adopt rules for approving movable equipment costs for school construction.’