The superintendent of public instruction shall solicit an education provider for the department of corrections' juvenile inmates within sixty days as follows:

(1) The superintendent of public instruction shall notify and solicit proposals from all interested and capable school districts, educational service districts, institutions of higher education, private contractors, or any combination thereof. The notice shall describe the proposed education program's requirements and the appropriated amount. The selection of an education provider shall be in the following order:

(a) The school district where there is an educational site for juveniles in an adult correctional facility maintained by the state department of corrections has first priority to operate an education program for inmates at that site. The district may elect to operate an education program by itself or with another school district, educational service district, institution of higher education, private contractor, or any combination thereof. If the school district elects not to exercise its priority, it shall notify the superintendent of public instruction within thirty calendar days of the day of solicitation.

(b) The educational service district where there is an educational site for juveniles in an adult correctional facility maintained by the state department of corrections has second priority to operate an education program for inmates at that site. The educational service district may elect to do so by itself or with a school district, another educational service district, institution of higher education, private contractor, or any combination thereof. If the educational service district elects not to exercise its priority, it shall notify the superintendent of public instruction within forty-five calendar days of the day of solicitation.

(c) If neither the school district nor the educational service district chooses to operate an education program for inmates as provided for in (a) and (b) of this subsection, the superintendent of public instruction may contract with an entity, including, but not limited to, school districts, educational service districts, institutions of higher education, private contractors, or any combination thereof, within sixty calendar days of the day of solicitation. The selected entity may operate an education program by itself or with another school district, educational service district, institution of higher education, or private contractor, or any combination thereof.

(2) If the superintendent of public instruction does not contract with an interested entity within sixty days of the day of solicitation, the educational service district where there is an educational site for juveniles in an adult correctional facility maintained by the state department of corrections shall begin operating the education program for inmates at the site within ninety days from the day of solicitation in subsection (1) of this section.