Section 16-36-68

Purchasing textbooks and accountability for textbooks.

(a) The local boards of education, county commissions, and municipal councils or other governing boards of a municipality may appropriate funds for the purpose of creating local revolving funds to be used in securing and distributing textbooks and for the purpose of contributing to the expense of furnishing textbooks. These revolving funds shall be reimbursed from moneys received from sales of textbooks.

(b) Local boards of education, county commissions, and other like governing bodies of the counties or municipalities may appropriate funds for the purpose of purchasing textbooks for free distribution or for rental to the patrons of its public schools under such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by the respective local boards of education.

(c) All books contracted for shall be shipped upon purchase orders of the local boards of education. The publisher or publishing company shipping the books shall prepare triplicate invoices or bills for the books shipped. These invoices or bills shall be mailed to the local superintendent of education to whom the books are shipped.

(d) The local superintendent of education, upon receipt of any shipment of books as provided herein, shall forthwith determine if the shipment is in accordance with the invoices or bills. Payment shall be made by the local board of education for such purchase and charged against the Foundation Program funds distributed to the local board of education for such purposes or other funds available to the local board of education for such purposes.

(e) Each local board of education shall provide for the safe and dry storage and distribution of all new and used textbooks and, in the case of used textbooks, provide for the collection, storage, and maintenance, including necessary repairs, renovation, and fumigation. The local boards of education shall also provide for the repair of used textbooks and, in compliance with the advice of the State Board of Health, the occasion for and manner of fumigation of used textbooks so as to protect pupils from any diseases which may be transmitted through the reissue of such textbooks.

(f) The local superintendent shall maintain at all times an accurate and up-to-date inventory and shall keep on file such accounting records as may be required or as necessary.

(g) The state Department of Examiners of Public Accounts shall make periodic audits of all accounting books and records pertaining to the textbooks which have been so furnished at state or local expense, requiring a complete accounting for all such textbooks as shown by the records.

(Act 98-320, p. 544, §9.)