(a)  Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the school committees of the cities and towns of Barrington, Bristol, East Providence, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth, Tiverton, and Warren are authorized and empowered to continue and/or initiate cooperative efforts to provide educational programs and/or services on a collaborative basis. The various school committees may assign and delegate to their respective school committee chairs or designee or superintendents of schools or designee, acting as a regional board of directors, any duties, responsibilities, and powers that the committees may deem necessary for the conduct, administration, and management of the East Bay Educational Collaborative.

(b)  Notwithstanding the above enumerated powers, duties and responsibilities referred to above and in chapter 3.1 of this title, the East Bay Educational Collaborative, as a nonprofit corporation incorporated pursuant to the R.I. Nonprofit Corporation Act (RI Gen Laws § 7-6-1, et seq.), shall have the authority to:

(1)  Purchase, take, receive, lease, take by gift, devise, or bequest, or otherwise acquire, own, hold, improve, use and otherwise deal in and with real estate, including their current site location, to wit, 317 Market Street, Warren, Rhode Island, or such other site as meets the administrative and/or operational needs of the East Bay Educational Collaborative, subject to the approval of five (5) of the eight (8) school committees of the member districts of the collaborative or a majority of the school committees that are members of the collaborative at the time.

(2)  Sell, convey, mortgage, finance, bond, lend, lease, exchange, transfer, and otherwise dispose of all or any part of its property and assets, both real or personal, subject to the approval of five (5) of the eight (8) school committees of the member districts of the collaborative or a majority of the school committees that are members of the collaborative at the time.