The governing board of each high school district and each unified school district shall establish and maintain within its boundaries special continuation education classes and may establish and maintain regional occupational centers or programs, in accordance with the provisions of

Section 52301, whenever there are any minors residing within the district who are subject to compulsory continuation education; provided, that if there are fewer than students enrolled in grade in any school of the district maintaining that grade, the governing board of the district may apply to the State Department of Education for exemption of that school from the requirements of this

section and such exemption may be granted in accordance with rules and regulations that shall be adopted by the State Board of Education to govern the granting of the exemptions.

An exemption may also be granted to schools having an enrollment of more than pupils in grade if the district seeking the exemption has entered into an agreement with another high school district or unified school district to maintain special continuation education classes for minors residing in either of the districts, but shall not be granted if the agreement would make it necessary for such minors to travel an excessive distance from their homes to the continuation education classes. If there is a regional occupational center or program as provided in

Article 1 (commencing with

Section 52300) of

Chapter of

Part 28, of this division within a county, the governing board of any school district within that county may enroll minors, otherwise subject to, and in lieu of, continuation education, in the center or program in accordance with the provisions of

Section 52314. Any minor admitted to a regional occupational center or program under the provisions of

Section 52314.5 shall be considered to have enrolled in the regional occupational center or program in lieu of continuation education classes. Nothing in this

section shall prohibit a minor from enrolling in a program of continuation education or a regular high school program if the minor voluntarily chooses to enroll in the program.