Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §7401, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 676, §5 and affected by §13, is further amended to read:

§7401. School established

The Governor Baxter School for the Deaf is established as a public school pursuant to this chapter for the purpose of educating deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The school is a body politic and corporate and is an instrumentality and agency of the State.__The exercise by the school of the powers conferred by this chapter is the performance of an essential public function by and on behalf of the State.

Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §7402, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 676, §5 and affected by §13, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

1.__School.__"School" means the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf established under this chapter, including the center school located at Mackworth Island and any satellite school within the State that may be operated under a contracted services agreement.

Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §7402, sub-§§5 and 6 are enacted to read:

5.__Center school.__"Center school" means the programs established and operated by the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf located at Mackworth Island, including the residential program, day school program, statewide consultation and outreach programs, parent-infant program, preschool program, communication garden program, distance education program and community education program.

6.__Satellite school.__"Satellite school" means the programs, including a residential program, day school programs, early childhood programs and outreach programs, that are located near the population centers of deaf and hard-of-hearing students within the State established by the School Board of the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf.

Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §7403, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 676, §5 and affected by §13, is amended to read:

§7403. Location; geographic access

The school is center school programs are located on Mackworth Island. Satellite school programs, including a residential program in accordance with section 7407, subsection