1. a. Except as otherwise provided pursuant to section 14 of P.L.2007, c.137 (C. 18A:7G-45), whenever any board of education shall by resolution determine that any tract of land, whether there is a building thereon or not, or part or all of a school building, is not necessary for school purposes, but which it does not desire to dispose of for reason that the property may, at some future time, again be required for school purposes, it may authorize the lease thereof for a term extending beyond the official life of the board; provided that the noneducational uses of such building or tract of land are compatible with the establishment and operation of a school, as determined by the Commissioner of Education, if joint occupancy of such site is considered. A board of education is authorized to use electronic procurement practices in accordance with the provisions of P.L.2018, c.156 (C. 40A:11-4.7 et al.) for the advertisement of lease of land, and any building on that land. The lease shall be binding upon the successor board as follows:

(1) After advertisement of the request for bids to lease to the highest bidder in a newspaper published in the school district, or, if none is published therein, then in a newspaper circulating in the district in which the same is situate, at least once a week for two weeks prior to the date fixed for the receipt and opening of bids, and, at the discretion of the board of education, electronic advertisement, unless:

(2) The same is leased to the federal government, State, a political subdivision thereof, another school district, any board, body or commission of a municipality within the school district, any volunteer fire company or rescue squad actively engaged in the protection of life and property and duly incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey, or to any American Legion post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, or other recognized veterans’ organization of the United States of America, located in the municipality or the county, as a meeting place for such organization, or to a nonprofit child care service organization duly incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey, or to a nonprofit hospital duly licensed under the laws of the State of New Jersey, or to a nonprofit organization duly licensed under the laws of the State of New Jersey to provide emergency shelter for the homeless, or to a nonprofit senior citizen organization, or to a nonprofit historic preservation organization duly incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey, in which case the same may be leased by private agreement for a nominal fee without advertisement for bids.

b. Any lease in excess of five years shall be approved by the Commissioner of Education.

L.1978, c.91, s.1; amended 1979, c.47; 1981, c.410, s.2; 1987, c.65, s.2; 1988, c.161; 1991, c.172; 2007, c.137, s.47; 2018, c.156, s.9.