26.1 Education service cooperatives created by Title 6, Chapter 13, Subchapter 10 of the Arkansas Code meet the definition of “local education agencies” by virtue of the fact that each is a public authority, legally constituted within this state to perform a service function for a public elementary and secondary school in school districts and other political subdivisions of the state and to form a consortia of school districts which are recognized by the General Assembly as administrative agents for public elementary and secondary schools.

26.2 This section intends to recognize the function of the cooperatives and to provide eligibility to cooperatives to receive state and federal funds upon written requests from the school districts.