Bill Text: CT SB00379 | 2010 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Vocational-technical Schools.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 46-9-1)
Status: (Passed) 2010-05-18 - Signed by the Governor [SB00379 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2010-SB00379-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
Raised Bill No. 379 | ||
February Session, 2010 |
LCO No. 1853 | ||
*01853_______ED_* | |||
Referred to Committee on Education |
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Introduced by: |
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(ED) |
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AN ACT CONCERNING VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL SCHOOLS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-95 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2010):
(a) The State Board of Education may establish and maintain a state-wide system of regional vocational-technical schools offering full-time, part-time and evening programs in vocational, technical and technological education and training. The board may make regulations controlling the admission of students to any such school. The Commissioner of Education, in accordance with policies established by the board, may appoint and remove members of the staffs of such schools and make rules for the management of and expend the funds provided for the support of such schools. The board may enter into cooperative arrangements with local and regional boards of education, private occupational schools, institutions of higher education, job training agencies and employers in order to provide general education, vocational, technical or technological education or work experience.
(b) If the New England Association of Schools and Colleges places a regional vocational-technical school on probation or otherwise notifies the superintendent of the vocational-technical school system that a regional vocational-technical school is at risk of losing its accreditation, the Commissioner of Education shall notify the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education of such placement or problems relating to accreditation.
(c) The State Board of Education shall establish specific achievement goals for students at the vocational-technical schools at each grade level. The board shall measure the performance of each vocational-technical school and shall identify a set of quantifiable measures to be used. The measures shall include factors such as performance on the state-wide tenth grade mastery examination under section 10-14n, trade-related assessment tests, dropout rates and graduation rates.
(d) The State Board of Education shall not close or suspend operations of any regional vocational-technical school for more than six months unless an affirmative vote of the board is taken at a meeting duly called.
Sec. 2. Section 10-1 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2010):
(a) Prior to July 1, 1998, the State Board of Education shall consist of nine members. On and after July 1, 1998, but prior to July 1, 2010, the State Board of Education shall consist of eleven members, two of whom shall be nonvoting student members. On and after July 1, 2010, the State Board of Education shall consist of eleven members, at least two of whom shall have industrial, trade or technical school experience and two of whom shall be nonvoting student members. Only those members with industrial, trade or technical school experience shall be eligible to serve as the chairperson for the regional vocational-technical school subcommittee of the board.
(b) The Governor shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the General Assembly, the members of said board, provided each student member (1) is on the list submitted to the Governor pursuant to section 10-2a, (2) is enrolled in a public high school in the state, (3) has completed eleventh grade prior to the commencement of his term, (4) has at least a B plus average, and (5) provides at least three references from teachers in the school he is attending. Nine members shall serve for terms of four years commencing on March first in the year of their appointment. The student members shall serve for terms of one year commencing on July first in the year of their appointment. The Commissioner of Higher Education shall serve as an ex-officio member without a vote. Any vacancy in said State Board of Education shall be filled in the manner provided in section 4-19.
Sec. 3. Section 10-95h of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2010):
[There is established a state-wide advisory committee, which shall meet at least semiannually, to (1) identify emerging state and national workforce needs and trade technology programs for the regional vocational-technical school system to meet such needs; (2) identify the workforce skills that will be needed for the next thirty years and ensure that the curriculum of the regional vocational-technical school system is incorporating such skills into the regional vocational-technical schools; (3) ensure that all students who graduate from the regional vocational-technical school system have communication, leadership, teamwork and problem-solving skills, in addition to expertise in a trade technology; (4) assess the adequacy of the resources available to the regional vocational-technical school system as the system develops and refines programs to meet existing and emerging workforce needs; and (5) advise and make recommendations to the State Board of Education to carry out the provisions of subdivisions (1) to (4), inclusive, of this section. The committee shall consist of nineteen members as follows: (A) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be representatives of business, holding the title of chief executive officer, president, chief operating officer or the equivalents thereof, drawn from key industry, service and manufacturing firms with five hundred or more full-time employees; (B) two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be a representative of business, holding the title of chief executive officer, president, chief operating officer or the equivalents thereof, drawn from key industry, service and manufacturing firms with five hundred or more full-time employees and one of whom shall be a teacher in the regional vocational-technical school system; (C) one appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives who shall be a representative of business, holding the title of chief executive officer, president, chief operating officer or the equivalents thereof, drawn from key industry, service and manufacturing firms with more than fifty, but fewer than five hundred full-time employees; (D) one appointed by the majority leader of the Senate who shall be a representative of business, holding the title of chief executive officer, president, chief operating officer or the equivalents thereof, drawn from key industry, service and manufacturing firms with more than fifty, but fewer than five hundred full-time employees; (E) one appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives who shall be a representative of business, holding the title of chief executive officer, president, chief operating officer or the equivalents thereof, drawn from key industry, service and manufacturing firms with more than fifty, but fewer than five hundred full-time employees; (F) one appointed by the minority leader of the Senate who shall be a representative of business, holding the title of chief executive officer, president, chief operating officer or the equivalents thereof, drawn from key industry, service and manufacturing firms with fifty or fewer full-time employees; (G) two persons appointed by the Governor who shall be representatives of business, holding the title of chief executive officer, president, chief operating officer or the equivalents thereof, drawn from key industry, service and manufacturing firms with fifty or fewer full-time employees; (H) the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee; (I) the Labor Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee; (J) the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, or the commissioner's designee; (K) a representative from the Office of Workforce Competitiveness; (L) the chairperson of the State Board of Education, or the chairperson's designee; and (M) the cochairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education. The committee membership shall reflect the state's geographic, racial and ethnic diversity.]
(a) Not later than November thirtieth each year, the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, higher education and employment advancement and labor shall meet with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system, the director of the Office of Workforce Competitiveness, the Labor Commissioner and such other persons as they deem appropriate, to consider the items submitted pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.
(b) On or before November fifteenth, annually: (1) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall submit the following to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, higher education and employment advancement and labor: (A) Information identifying general economic trends in the state economy; (B) information identifying emerging state and national workforce needs and trade technology programs, based on such economic trends, for the regional vocational-technical school system to meet such needs; (C) information identifying the workforce skills that will be needed for the next thirty years and ensure that the curriculum of the regional vocational-technical school system is incorporating such skills into the regional vocational-technical schools; (D) an assessment of the adequacy of the resources available to the regional vocational-technical school system as the system develops and refines programs to meet existing and emerging workforce needs; and (E) recommendations to the State Board of Education to carry out the provisions of subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of this subdivision.
(2) The superintendent of the vocational-technical school system shall submit the following to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, higher education and employment advancement and labor: (A) Information identifying emerging state and national workforce needs and trade technology programs for the regional vocational-technical school system to meet such needs; (B) information identifying the workforce skills that will be needed for the next thirty years and ensure that the curriculum of the regional vocational-technical school system is incorporating such skills into the regional vocational-technical schools; (C) information regarding the employment status of students who graduate from the regional vocational-technical school system; (D) an assessment of the adequacy of the resources available to the regional vocational-technical school system as the system develops and refines programs to meet existing and emerging workforce needs; and (E) recommendations to the State Board of Education to carry out the provisions of subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of this subdivision.
(3) The director of the Office of Workforce Competitiveness and the Labor Commissioner shall each submit the following to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, higher education and employment advancement and labor: (A) Occupational information regarding the public and private sectors, such as continuous data on occupational movements; (B) information identifying emerging state and national workforce needs and trade technology programs for the regional vocational-technical school system to meet such needs; (C) an assessment of the adequacy of the resources available to the regional vocational-technical school system as the system develops and refines programs to meet existing and emerging workforce needs; and (D) recommendations to the State Board of Education to carry out the provisions of subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of this subdivision.
Sec. 4. Section 3-20f of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2010):
(a) Notwithstanding section 3-20, to the extent there is a sufficient balance of bonds approved by the General Assembly pursuant to any bond act for the purposes of agricultural land preservation programs established pursuant to section 22-26cc or 22-26jj, but not allocated by the State Bond Commission, said commission shall vote on whether to authorize the issuance of at least five million dollars of such bonds for the purposes described in said sections at each of said commission's regularly scheduled meetings occurring in August and February of each year. If no meeting is held in said months, said commission shall vote on whether to authorize the issuance of such bonds at its next regularly scheduled meeting. To the extent there is a sufficient balance of bonds so approved by the General Assembly and there are pending agricultural land preservation transactions in excess of five million dollars, the Commissioner of Agriculture may request, and the State Bond Commission shall vote on whether to authorize the issuance of, bonds in excess of five million dollars. To the extent the balance of bonds so approved by the [legislature] General Assembly is below five million dollars at the time of said commission's August or February meetings, said commission shall vote on whether to authorize the issuance of the remaining balance of such bonds.
(b) Notwithstanding section 3-20, to the extent there is a sufficient balance of bonds approved by the General Assembly pursuant to any bond act for the purposes of general maintenance and trade and capital equipment for any school in the regional vocational-technical school system, but not allocated by the State Bond Commission, said commission shall vote on whether to authorize the issuance of at least two million dollars of such bonds for such maintenance and equipment at each of said commission's regularly scheduled meetings occurring in August and February of each year. If no meeting is held in said months, said commission shall vote on whether to authorize the issuance of such bonds at its next regularly scheduled meeting. To the extent there is a sufficient balance of bonds so approved by the General Assembly and there are pending general maintenance and trade and capital equipment transactions in excess of two million dollars, the superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system may request, and the State Bond Commission shall vote on whether to authorize the issuance of, bonds in excess of two million dollars. To the extent the balance of bonds so approved by the General Assembly is below two million dollars at the time of said commission's August or February meetings, said commission shall vote on whether to authorize the issuance of the remaining balance of such bonds.
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective from passage) On or before August 15, 2010, and annually thereafter, the State Board of Education shall arrange for the inspection, in accordance with the provisions of section 14-282a of the general statutes, of those school busses, as defined in section 14-275 of the general statutes, in operation in the regional vocational-technical school system.
Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2010) (a) On and after July 1, 2010, the State Board of Education shall replace any school bus that is ten years or older and is in service at any regional vocational-technical school.
(b) On or before July 1, 2011, and annually thereafter, the superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system shall submit, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and finance, revenue and bonding a report on the replacement of school buses in service in the regional vocational-technical school system, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such report shall include the number of school buses replaced in the previous school year and a projection of the number of school buses anticipated to be replaced in the upcoming school year.
Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2010) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, and each fiscal year thereafter, the budget for the regional vocational-technical school system shall be a separate budgeted agency from the Department of Education.
Sec. 8. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2010) (a) The superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system shall biannually submit, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the director of the legislative Office of Fiscal Analysis and to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education the operating budget and expenses for each individual regional vocational-technical school.
(b) The superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system shall make available and update on the regional vocational-technical school system web site and the web site of each regional vocational-technical school the operating budget for the current school year of each individual regional vocational-technical school.
Sec. 9. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 4a-51 of the general statutes and regulations adopted pursuant to section 4a-52 of the general statutes, the superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system may purchase supplies, materials, equipment and contractual services, all as defined in section 4a-50 of the general statutes, for the regional vocational-technical school system, provided such supplies, materials, equipment and contractual services (1) can be obtained at a lower cost from a business located in the town in which the regional vocational-technical school seeking such supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services is located than the cost of obtaining such supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services through the Department of Administrative Services, or (2) cannot be obtained through the Department of Administrative Services.
(b) Subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, not later than July fifteenth, annually, the superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system shall submit to the Department of Administrative Services for each of the schools in the regional vocational-technical school system a list of all supplies, materials, equipment and contractual services required by such school for the year.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
July 1, 2010 |
10-95 |
Sec. 2 |
July 1, 2010 |
10-1 |
Sec. 3 |
July 1, 2010 |
10-95h |
Sec. 4 |
July 1, 2010 |
3-20f |
Sec. 5 |
from passage |
New section |
Sec. 6 |
July 1, 2010 |
New section |
Sec. 7 |
July 1, 2010 |
New section |
Sec. 8 |
July 1, 2010 |
New section |
Sec. 9 |
from passage |
New section |
Statement of Purpose:
To require the State Board of Education to conduct a formal vote before closing or suspending operations of a vocational-technical school; to require that at least two members of the State Board of Education have industrial, trade or technical school experience; to eliminate the state-wide advisory committee on regional vocational-technical schools and require an annual informational hearing regarding the vocational-technical school system; to require the State Bond Commission to vote on whether to issue bonds that the General Assembly approved for maintenance and trade and capital equipment for vocational-technical schools, but the commission has not allocated; to require the State Board of Education to inspect the busses in operation at the vocational-technical schools and to replace any school bus in service at a vocational-technical school that is ten years or older and to require the superintendent of the vocational-technical school system to report annually on such school bus replacement; to require that the vocational-technical school system be a separate line item in the budget; to require the superintendent of the vocational-technical school system to biannually submit the operating budgets for each individual vocational-technical school to OPM, OFA and the General Assembly and to make available such budgets on the vocational-technical school system's web site to allow the superintendent of the vocational-technical school system to purchase certain supplies and equipment independent of the Department of Administrative Services.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]