4. The boards of education of two or more school districts may share a superintendent or a school business administrator, or both. A shared superintendent or business administrator shall be subject to the same rules governing eligibility for employment as are superintendents or business administrators of a single district. The decision to share a school business administrator shall be made jointly by the boards of education of the districts, in consultation with the superintendents of the respective districts, subject to the final approval of the Commissioner of Education. The decision to share a superintendent shall be made jointly by the boards of education of the districts, subject to the final approval of the Commissioner of Education. The procedure shall be as follows:

a. Should two or more districts, after careful study and opportunity for community input, decide to share a superintendent or school business administrator, the districts shall mutually prepare a report for submission to the county superintendent or county superintendents if the districts are in different counties. The report shall outline the anticipated advantages to the districts and the feasibility of a shared arrangement. The report shall set forth a plan explaining how the shared arrangement will operate, and shall also address such items as community support for the arrangement, effect on services to the respective districts, division of the superintendent’s or business administrator’s time between the districts, availability of administrative backup, likelihood of situations creating conflict of interest, and financial advantages of the arrangement.

b. The county superintendent or superintendents shall review the plan and forward a recommendation to the Commissioner of Education who shall approve or disapprove the plan.

L.1996,c.111,s.4.