Section 3014-A. Teachers' rights as a result of a board or boards of cooperative educational services taking over a program formerly operated by a school district or districts or by a county vocational education and extension board

1.  In  any  case  in which a board or boards of  cooperative educational services duly  take  over  the  operation  of  a
  program formerly provided by a school district or school districts or by
  a  county  vocational  education  and  extension  board,  each  teacher,
  teaching assistant and teacher aide employed in such a program by such a
  school district or such a  county  vocational  education  and  extension
  board at the time of such takeover by the board or boards of cooperative
  educational  services,  shall be considered an employee of such board or
  boards of cooperative educational services with the same tenure or civil
  service status he maintained in such school district or in  such  county
  vocational education and extension board.
    2.  If the number of teaching positions needed to provide the services
  required  by  such  program  by  the  board  or  boards  of  cooperative
  educational  services  is  less  than  the  number of teachers, teaching
  assistants and teacher aides eligible to be considered employees of such
  board or boards of  cooperative  educational  services  as  provided  by
  subdivision  one of this section, the services of the teachers, teaching
  assistants and teacher aides having the least seniority  in  the  school
  district   or  school  districts  or  county  vocational  education  and
  extension board whose programs are taken over by the board or boards  of
  cooperative educational services within the tenure area or civil service
  title  of  the  position  shall be discontinued. Such teachers, teaching
  assistants and teacher aides shall be placed  on  a  preferred  eligible
  list  of  candidates  for  appointment  to a vacancy that may thereafter
  occur in an office or position under the jurisdiction of  the  board  or
  boards  of  cooperative  educational  services  similar  to the one such
  teacher, teaching assistant and  teacher  aide  filled  in  such  school
  district  or  school  districts  or such county vocational education and
  extension board. The teachers, teaching assistants and teacher aides  on
  such  preferred  list shall be reinstated or appointed to such vacancies
  in such corresponding or similar positions under the jurisdiction of the
  board or boards of cooperative educational  services  in  the  order  of
  their  length  of service in such school district or school districts or
  in such county vocational education and extension  board,  within  seven
  years from the date of the abolition of such office or position.
    3.  For  any  such teacher, teaching assistant and teacher aide as set
  forth in subdivision one of this section for salary, sick leave and  any
  other  purposes,  the length of service credited in such school district
  or in such county vocational education  and  extension  board  shall  be
  credited  as  employment  time  with such board or boards of cooperative
  educational services.
    4. This section shall in no way be construed to limit  the  rights  of
  any  of  such  employees  set forth in this section granted by any other
  provision of law.
    5. Program takeovers pursuant to this section shall  be  considered  a
  transfer pursuant to section seventy of the civil service law.