(a) The board of education of any school district may grant to a teacher of the district a leave of absence with full pay for a period of not more than one year to permit such teacher to teach in a foreign state under the provisions of the teacher exchange program established under public law 87-256, 75 Stat. 527, as amended, and public law 83-480, as amended. The board of education granting such leave of absence may employ with or without pay a national of the foreign state wherein the teacher on leave of absence will teach, if the national is qualified to teach in that foreign state, and if the national will be authorized to teach at a grade level and in a field or subject similar to that which the national is authorized to teach in such foreign state.

(b) Any teacher of this state who participates in the teacher exchange program and teaches in a foreign state shall be deemed to have taught during the period of exchange in the school district by which the teacher is employed for the following purposes: (1) Participation in the Kansas public employees’ retirement system; and (2) entitlement to any benefits to which the teacher would have been entitled had the teacher taught in the school district.

(c) No liability, civil or criminal, with respect to the misuse of public funds, shall attach to any board of education, or any member thereof, for effectuating the provisions of this section.

(d) The state board of education shall adopt rules and regulations relating to the temporary licensure of teachers from a foreign state who participate in the teacher exchange program.