§ 4602. Career education. 1. The board of education of each school district shall provide secondary school pupils and adults access to programs of career education, commensurate with the interests and capabilities of those desiring and having a need for preparatory training, retraining or upgrading for employment, and develop realistic programs in accord with manpower needs in existing and emerging occupations for present and projected employment opportunities.

2. Career education programs and classes shall be organized and conducted by boards of education or arranged through shared services as provided by boards of cooperative educational services, in accordance with the rules of the board of regents and the regulations of the commissioner of education. Boards of education that are designated by the commissioner as major career education providers shall submit to the commissioner every two years, no later than the date specified by the commissioner, a career education program plan, in a form specified by the commissioner, which shall be revised annually.

3. Programs may include pre-vocational activities, career classes, apprentice related instruction, cooperative education, work experience, continuing adult career education, and other effective means of preparation and of upgrading employment capabilities. Classes for out-of-school youth sixteen years of age and over and for adults may be conducted during the day and/or evening.

4. The board of education of each school district maintaining programs in career education, practical arts, vocational and educational guidance, or continuing career education for adults has full power and authority:

a. To employ properly certified directors, supervisors, principals, teachers and counselors and assign them to serve in the schools and classes authorized by this article.

b. To establish approved courses of study.

c. To purchase or acquire sites and grounds; to purchase, acquire, lease or construct and to repair suitable shops and buildings or to arrange for shared services.

d. To purchase necessary machinery, tools, apparatus, books and supplies.

e. To enter into agreements with one or more financing agencies to provide for the acceptance by such board of credit cards as a means of payment of course fees or tuition when required for instructional programs. Any such agreement shall govern the terms and conditions upon which a credit card proffered as a means of payment of such fees or tuition shall be accepted or declined and the manner in and conditions upon which the financing agency shall pay to such board of education the amount of such fees or tuition paid by means of a credit card pursuant to such agreement. Any such agreement may provide for the payment by such board of education to such financing agency of fees for the services provided by such financing agency. For purposes of this paragraph, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(i) "Credit card" means any credit card, credit plate, charge plate, courtesy card, debit card or other identification card or device issued by a person to another person which may be used to obtain a cash advance or a loan or credit, or to purchase or lease property or services on the credit of the person issuing the credit card or a person who has agreed with the issuer to pay obligations arising from the use of a credit card issued to another person.

(ii) "Financing agency" means any agency defined as such in subdivision eighteen of § 401 of the personal property law;

(iii) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation or any other legal or commercial entity.

5. School days spent in legal employment by pupils enrolled in approved career cooperative education programs who are in part-time school attendance shall be included in the average daily attendance and average daily membership for apportionment of state aid under provisions of section thirty-six hundred two of this chapter.