(1) Two or more nonhigh school districts may form an interdistrict cooperative to offer an innovation academy cooperative, as defined in RCW 28A.340.085 and subject to the approval of the office of the superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.340.090, for high school students residing in the participating nonhigh school districts or for high school students residing in other school districts who enroll in the cooperative's reporting district under RCW 28A.225.220 through 28A.225.230. However, a high school student residing in a school district that is not a participating member of the cooperative may not enroll exclusively in alternative learning experience courses or programs as defined by *RCW 28A.150.325. Nothing in this section is intended to affect or otherwise modify the superintendent of public instruction's duty to approve and monitor online providers pursuant to RCW 28A.250.020.

(2) Enrollment in an innovation academy cooperative is optional for students. For students residing in a participating nonhigh school district who enroll in a high school district rather than the innovation academy cooperative, the provisions of RCW 28A.540.110 and chapter 28A.545 RCW apply to the nonhigh school district.

(3) Each innovation academy cooperative shall designate one of the participating nonhigh school districts to report enrolled students for funding purposes. The reporting district shall claim the monthly full-time equivalent students enrolled in the innovation academy cooperative and receive state funding allocations, including basic education allocations that are based on the small high school allocation under the appropriations act to the extent the number of students enrolled in the innovation academy cooperative meets the criteria for a small high school.

*Reviser's note: RCW 28A.150.325 was recodified as RCW 28A.232.010 pursuant to 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 517.

Findings—Intent—2010 c 99: "The legislature finds that the availability of technology, online learning, and field and project-based curricula offer new opportunities for school districts to design innovative programs for high school students. However, the legislature also finds that while small, rural school districts desire to offer innovative learning options for students in their communities, they are constrained by state laws and rules that appear to prohibit nonhigh school districts from creating options for their high school students in cooperation with other nonhigh school districts. Therefore, the legislature intends to authorize and encourage innovative, cooperative high school programs for students from very small school districts." [ 2010 c 99 s 1.]