4.__Regional school district.__"Regional school district" means a school administrative unit with an aggregate resident student population of 1,000 or more in 2004, as recorded by the department, formed pursuant to an agreement under section 3703 by combining 2 or more contiguous school administrative units in existence on the effective date of this section and certified pursuant to section 3704.

§3703.__Authorization for regional delivery of public education

services

A school administrative unit may enter into an agreement with another school administrative unit or units to form or intend to form a regional school district or regional cooperative and otherwise cooperate and participate in the development and formation of a regional school district or regional cooperative under this chapter or to provide assistance to another school administrative unit or units seeking to identify and implement means to increase efficiency and lower costs of delivering public education services for kindergarten to grade 12.__An agreement pursuant to this section must provide that each school administrative unit combined to form a regional school district retains all its debt obligations that existed on the effective date of the agreement.

§3704.__Certification of regional school districts

1.__Certification criteria.__In order for a school administrative unit to qualify for certification by the state board as a regional school district, the school administrative unit must:

A.__Be a single school administrative unit that, pursuant to an agreement under section 3703, combines 2 or more contiguous school administrative units that existed on the effective date of this section;

B.__Have a single governing board with one or more representatives of each school administrative unit combining to form the regional school district and no more than 11 members in total, provided that the state board may in its discretion authorize a governing board with more than 11 members for good cause shown;