Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §7406, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1999, c. 775, §7, is further amended to read:

1. Membership. In appointing members to the school board, the Governor shall give proper consideration to achieving statewide geographical representation, cultural equity and gender equity. In appointing voting members to the school board, the Governor shall select nominees with experience or special knowledge in one or more of the following areas: law, finance, organizational issues, management, education, human resources and collective bargaining. The school board and interested parties may submit a list of recommended candidates to the Governor to aid in making appointments of voting and nonvoting members. The appointments of voting members made by the Governor are subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters and subject to confirmation by the Legislature. The appointments of nonvoting members made by the Governor are not subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters or subject to confirmation by the Legislature. The Governor shall appoint the school board consisting of 15 voting members and 2 nonvoting members as follows:

A. Four parents of students who are deaf or hard-of- hearing, including a minimum of one parent with a child enrolled in the residential program and one parent with a child receiving service from the school's outreach program;

B. Three deaf representatives of the State's deaf community;

C. Eight members of the general public, at least 2 of whom must have expertise in deaf education; and

F. Two students, one who attends the school and one who receives outreach services, both of whom are nonvoting members and who may not participate as board members in executive sessions or receive materials as board members from executive sessions.

Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §7407, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 676, §5 and affected by §13, is amended to read:

9. Property management. The school board may acquire by purchase any property, lands, buildings, structures, facilities or equipment and make improvements to facilities necessary to fulfill the purposes of this chapter. The State retains