The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and 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. 7. 20-A MRSA §7402, as amended by PL 1999, c. 775, §3, is further amended to read:

§7402. Definitions

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

1. School. "School" means the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf established under this chapter, including the center school located at Mackworth Island known as the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf and any satellite school within the State that may be operated under a contracted services agreement.

2. School board. "School board" means the School Board of the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf.

3. Sending school. "Sending school" means any school administrative unit that has a student in attendance at the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf center school or at a satellite school.

4. Superintendent. "Superintendent" means the Superintendent of the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf.

5. Center school. "Center school" means the kindergarten to grade 12 day and residential programs established and operated by the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf at 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.