Coordination of planning between the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and local governing bodies.

(1) As used in this section, the term:

(a) “Board of Trustees” means the Board of Trustees of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.

(b) “Local government” means the municipality or county in which the school is located.

(c) “School” means the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.

(2) It is the policy of this state to require the board of trustees to coordinate planning for new facilities with local governments to ensure that plans for site acquisition, construction, and opening of new facilities of the school are facilitated, concurrent with other necessary services. The planning shall include the integration of the educational plant survey for the school and applicable policies and procedures of the board of trustees with the local comprehensive plan and land development regulations of the local governments. The planning must consider the effect of the location of new facilities to be located on property acquired on or after January 1, 1998, including the efficient use of local infrastructure, the proximity of the proposed new facilities to the school’s existing campus, and the effect and impact of any property proposed to be acquired by the school after the effective date of this act. In addition, all parties to the planning process must consult with state and local road departments to assist in implementing the Safe Paths to Schools Program administered by the Department of Transportation.

(3) The board of trustees and the municipality in which the school is located may enter into an interlocal agreement to establish the specific ways in which the plans and processes of the board of trustees and the local government are to be coordinated.

(4) At a minimum, an interlocal agreement must address the following issues:

(a) The process by which each local government and the board of trustees will agree and base their plans on consistent projections of the growth and needs of the school’s student enrollment.

(b) A process to coordinate and share information relating to planned expansions of the school’s facilities.

(c) Participation by affected local governments when the board of trustees is evaluating potential land acquisitions before the land acquisition occurs and when the board of trustees proposes uses for property acquired by the board of trustees on or after January 1, 1998. The local governments shall advise the board of trustees as to the consistency of any future land acquisitions and the uses proposed by the school for lands acquired on or after January 1, 1998, including appropriate circumstances and criteria under which the board of trustees may request an amendment to the comprehensive plan for the expansion of the school’s campus or for school facilities to be located on property acquired by the board of trustees on or after January 1, 1998.