Bill Text: NY S05946 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Establishes the Syracuse city school district regional STEAM high school to provide instruction to students in the Onondaga, Cortland and Madison county BOCES and the central New York region in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Enrolled - Dead) 2021-01-22 - POCKET VETO - VETO.294 [S05946 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S05946-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5946--B 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN SENATE May 16, 2019 ___________ Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the Syra- cuse city school district regional STEAM high school to provide instruction to students in the Onondaga, Cortland and Madison county BOCES and the central New York region in the areas of science, tech- nology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) areas The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative intent. The purpose of this act is to establish 2 the Syracuse city school district regional STEAM high school. The STEAM 3 high school shall provide a high school course of instruction for grades 4 nine through twelve, dedicated to providing expanded learning opportu- 5 nities to students residing in the Onondaga, Cortland and Madison county 6 board of cooperative educational services region and central New York, 7 in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics 8 as well as the core academic areas required for the issuance of high 9 school diplomas in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated 10 by the board of regents. The legislature hereby finds and declares that 11 the establishment of the STEAM high school is a necessary component to 12 the development of the greater central New York region of New York state 13 and a necessary link to fostering the development and advancement of the 14 arts and emerging technologies. This school will advance the interests 15 of the central New York region and New York state by engaging students 16 in rigorous and enriching educational experiences focused on the arts 17 and emerging technologies, project-based learning and collaboration and 18 by providing that experience within the context of a business and learn- 19 ing community for the purpose of directly connecting student learning EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD11786-05-9S. 5946--B 2 1 with real world experience in the arts and advanced technical facili- 2 ties. It is expressly found that the establishment and operation of such 3 school pursuant to this act is a public purpose. 4 § 2. Establishment of Syracuse city school district regional STEAM 5 high school. 6 1. A regional science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics 7 ("STEAM") high school may be established by the board of education of 8 the Syracuse city school district pursuant to this section for students 9 in grades nine through twelve. 10 2. Such school shall be governed by the board of education of the 11 Syracuse city school district. The school shall be subject to all laws, 12 rules and regulations which are applicable to a public high school 13 unless otherwise provided for in this act. The school shall be subject 14 to the oversight of the board of regents and the program shall be audit- 15 ed in a manner consistent with provisions of law and regulations that 16 are applicable to other public schools. 17 3. The board of education of the Syracuse city school district shall 18 have the responsibility for the operation, supervision and maintenance 19 of the school and shall be responsible for the administration of the 20 school, including curriculum, grading, discipline and staffing. 21 4. The board of education of the Syracuse city school district shall 22 be authorized to enter into contracts as necessary or convenient to 23 operate such school. 24 5. Students attending such school shall continue to be enrolled in 25 their school district of residence. The Syracuse city school district 26 shall be responsible for the issuance of a high school diploma to 27 students who attended the school based on such students' successful 28 completion of the school's educational program. 29 6. For purposes of all state aid calculations made pursuant to the 30 education law, students attending such school shall continue to be 31 treated and counted as students of their school district of residence. 32 7. The public school district of residence shall be obligated to 33 provide transportation, without regard to any mileage limitations, 34 provided however, for aid reimbursements pursuant to subdivision 7 of 35 section 3602 of the education law, expenses associated with the trans- 36 portation of students to and from the STEAM school up to a distance of 37 thirty miles shall be included. 38 8. It shall be the duty of the student's district of residence to make 39 payments as calculated in this act directly to the school district for 40 each student enrolled in the school. No costs shall be apportioned to 41 school districts that elect not to participate in such school. 42 9. The trustees or the board of education of a school district may 43 enter into a memorandum of understanding with the board of education of 44 the Syracuse city school district to participate in such school program 45 for a period not to exceed five years upon such terms as such trustees 46 or board of education and the board of education of the Syracuse city 47 school district may mutually agree. Such memorandum of understanding 48 shall set forth a methodology for the calculation of per pupil tuition 49 costs that shall be subject to review and approval by the commissioner. 50 10. Any student eligible for enrollment in grades nine through twelve 51 of a public school entering into a memorandum of understanding with the 52 board of education of the Syracuse city school district to enroll 53 students in the STEAM high school shall be eligible for admission to the 54 STEAM high school. To the extent that the number of qualified applicants 55 may exceed the number of available spaces, the school shall grant admis- 56 sion on a random selection basis, provided that an enrollment preferenceS. 5946--B 3 1 shall be provided to pupils returning to the school in the second or any 2 subsequent year. The criteria for admission shall not be limited based 3 on intellectual ability, measures of academic achievement or aptitude, 4 athletic aptitude, disability, race, creed, gender, national origin, 5 religion, ancestry, or location of residence. The school shall deter- 6 mine the tentative enrollment roster, notify the parents, or those in 7 parental relations to those students, and the resident school district 8 by April first of the school year preceding the school year for which 9 the admission is granted. 10 11. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the 11 Syracuse city school district is authorized to transfer ownership of the 12 Syracuse city school district regional STEAM high school facility to the 13 county of Onondaga and the county of Onondaga is authorized to assume 14 such ownership and to enter into a lease for such facility with the 15 Syracuse city school district. The county of Onondaga may contract for 16 indebtedness to renovate such facility and any related financing shall 17 be deemed a county purpose. The county of Onondaga shall transfer 18 ownership of the regional STEAM high school facility to the city of 19 Syracuse upon the expiration of the lease. 20 § 3. Paragraph a of subdivision 6 of section 3602 of the education law 21 is amended by adding a new subparagraph 8 to read as follows: 22 (8) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, for 23 the purpose of computation of building aid for the renovation and equip- 24 ping of a regional STEAM high school authorized for operation by the 25 Syracuse city school district the building aid units assigned to this 26 project shall reflect a building aid enrollment of one thousand students 27 and multi-year cost allowances for the project shall be established and 28 utilized two times in the first five-year period. Subsequent multi-year 29 cost allowances shall be established no sooner than ten years after 30 establishment of the first maximum cost allowance authorized pursuant to 31 this subparagraph. 32 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
