(1) A school district of not less than 18,000 pupils, a first class school district, or a school district offering or making available to its pupils a comprehensive vocational education program approved by the state board, may elect not to come under an area vocational-technical education program by resolution adopted by its board not later than 30 days after receipt of notice that the question of establishing the area vocational-technical education program will be submitted to the school electors of the district.

    (2) A school district electing not to come under the area vocational-technical education program may thereafter elect to come under the program if at a special or regular school election a majority of the school electors voting approve the operation of the area vocational-technical education program and the annual tax rate for that purpose in effect in the other constituent districts of the intermediate school district.

    (3) Except as provided in this subsection, in an intermediate school district where the school electors have voted upon and failed to approve the ballot question set forth in section 681, a combination of 2 or more contiguous constituent districts, by resolution of their boards, may elect to establish an area vocational-technical education program, if approved by resolution of the intermediate district board and designated by the state board. The requirement of contiguity of constituent districts does not apply if 1 or more of the districts that constitute the basis of contiguity declare their intent, by board resolution, not to be part of the proposed area vocational-technical education program. At any time within 6 months after the enactment of the resolution establishing the program in a local school district, school electors equal in number to not less than 5% of the votes cast in the most recent school election may petition their local school district board to submit the resolution to the school district filing official for submission to the electorate, in a form and manner to be prescribed by the secretary of state, and the district’s participation in the program shall be terminated if not approved by a majority of the school electors voting on the question.

    (4) Area vocational-technical education programs established under this section shall receive appropriate state funding or federal funding allocated by the state board on exactly the same basis as area vocational-technical education programs and centers established by intermediate school districts. Constituent districts establishing an approved area vocational-technical education program under this section may designate, by board resolution, specific amounts of either authorized operating millage or operating millage being requested from the school electors to be utilized solely for the area vocational-technical education program, in a manner to be prescribed by the state board, and the specified amount of millage shall be regarded as area vocational-technical education millage rather than local school district operating millage in all computations made by the state board to determine state aid. The revenue obtained from the millage designated, together with appropriate state and federal funds, may be expended for the same purposes specified for intermediate district programs in section 684 and 685, including contracts with the intermediate school district, another local school district, or a community college for area vocational-technical education programs, facilities, and services. If constituent districts establish area vocational-technical education programs under this section, buildings, sites, and equipment may be jointly acquired, owned, or leased.

    (5) A contiguous school district desiring to become part of an area vocational-technical education program established under this section may do so with the approval of each participating school district, the intermediate school district, and the state board. Constituent districts operating an approved area vocational-technical education program under this section may subsequently elect not to participate, or may thereafter elect to participate, in an intermediate school district vocational-technical education program in exactly the same manner prescribed in this section for school districts of not less than 18,000 pupils, a first class school district, or a school district offering or making available to its pupils a comprehensive vocational education program approved by the state board.