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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY SMUCKER, PICCOLA, BAKER, FOLMER, SCARNATI, RAFFERTY, ORIE, D. WHITE, ALLOWAY, BROWNE, WILLIAMS, WAUGH, BRUBAKER, PILEGGI AND MENSCH, MARCH 22, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MARCH 22, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An |
2 | act relating to the public school system, including certain |
3 | provisions applicable as well to private and parochial |
4 | schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the |
5 | laws relating thereto," in reimbursements by Commonwealth and |
6 | between school districts, further providing for |
7 | accountability to Commonwealth taxpayers. |
8 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
9 | hereby enacts as follows: |
10 | Section 1. Section 2502.49 of the act of March 10, 1949 |
11 | (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, added |
12 | July 9, 2008 (P.L.846, No.61), is repealed: |
13 | [Section 2502.49. Accountability to Commonwealth |
14 | Taxpayers.--(a) In any school district where the amount of |
15 | basic education funding allocated pursuant to section 2502.48 |
16 | exceeds the amount of basic education funding allocated to the |
17 | school district in the prior fiscal year by more than the index, |
18 | the board of school directors shall use one hundred percent |
19 | (100%) of the portion of the increase that exceeds the index as |
20 | follows: |
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1 | (1) At least eighty percent (80%) of such funds shall be |
2 | used to offer any of the following for the first time or to |
3 | expand any of the following: |
4 | (i) Programs that increase the amount of student |
5 | instructional time, which may include tutoring, an extension of |
6 | the school day or school calendar or intensive support for |
7 | students who have limited English proficiency. |
8 | (ii) Implementation of new curricula or course offerings |
9 | that increase the number of students who graduate from high |
10 | school prepared for college and high-skill careers. |
11 | (iii) Training of professional employes in the delivery of a |
12 | curriculum that increases the number of students who graduate |
13 | from high school prepared for college and high-skill careers, in |
14 | strategies for addressing the learning needs of students at risk |
15 | of academic failure or needing remediation or in strategies to |
16 | ensure that students stay in school until graduation and |
17 | successfully transition to postsecondary education or the work |
18 | force. |
19 | (iv) Reduction of class size. |
20 | (v) Prekindergarten or full-day kindergarten. |
21 | (vi) Incentives for the most effective highly qualified |
22 | teachers and principals to work in a school identified for |
23 | improvement or corrective action. |
24 | (vii) School library services, which may include the |
25 | employment of school librarians or additional school library |
26 | staff or the purchase of printed or electronic materials or |
27 | other resources for the school library collection. |
28 | (2) No more than ten percent (10%) of such funds may be used |
29 | to maintain existing programs that meet the criteria of |
30 | paragraph (1) or for one-time costs necessary to the delivery of |
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1 | instruction that shall include books, materials or other |
2 | supplies. |
3 | (3) No more than ten percent (10%) of such funds may be used |
4 | for other programs or activities that are essential to achieving |
5 | or maintaining academic performance targets and that are based |
6 | on sound research or for one-time costs necessary to the |
7 | delivery of instruction that shall include books, materials or |
8 | other supplies. |
9 | (b) The following shall apply: |
10 | (1) A school district subject to this section shall submit a |
11 | plan to the Department of Education no later than August 1, |
12 | 2008, and no later than April 15 of each year thereafter, |
13 | detailing its intended use of funds subject to this section in |
14 | the subsequent fiscal year. If a general appropriation bill that |
15 | includes basic education funding for the applicable fiscal year |
16 | has not been enacted prior to the deadline, a school district |
17 | shall base its plan on the amount of basic education funding |
18 | proposed in an executive budget and posted on the department's |
19 | Internet website. |
20 | (2) The department shall review all plans and may provide |
21 | recommendations to school districts within forty-five (45) days |
22 | of receipt of the plan. |
23 | (3) Within ninety (90) days of receipt of a plan submitted |
24 | by a school district identified for warning, improvement or |
25 | corrective action or a school district with one or more schools |
26 | identified for improvement or corrective action, the department |
27 | shall approve or disapprove the plan. The department shall |
28 | provide a written explanation to the board of school directors |
29 | of any school district whose plan is disapproved. |
30 | (4) A school district whose plan has been disapproved shall |
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1 | amend and resubmit its plan as necessary until approved by the |
2 | department. |
3 | (c) The department shall approve any school district |
4 | achievement plan that: |
5 | (1) meets the requirements of this section; |
6 | (2) addresses the academic challenges identified in the |
7 | school district's most recent student achievement results, with |
8 | specific focus on individual schools, grade levels and |
9 | populations of students that demonstrate inadequate levels of |
10 | student achievement; and |
11 | (3) in the determination of the department, describes |
12 | programs and strategies that are most likely to improve student |
13 | achievement in the school district. |
14 | (d) For any school district where approval of a plan is |
15 | required pursuant to subsection (b), and notwithstanding any |
16 | other provision of law to the contrary, the department shall |
17 | withhold the portion of the increase in basic education funding |
18 | which exceeds the index until such a time as a plan is approved. |
19 | (e) The Department of Education shall: |
20 | (1) Provide technical assistance to any school district upon |
21 | request for the development of a plan pursuant to this section. |
22 | (2) Determine the form and manner in which school districts |
23 | shall submit a plan pursuant to this section. |
24 | (3) Review all plans submitted to the department and approve |
25 | or disapprove plans as required pursuant to this section. |
26 | (f) Nothing in this section shall supersede or preempt any |
27 | provisions of a collective bargaining agreement between a school |
28 | entity and an employe organization in effect on the effective |
29 | date of this section.] |
30 | Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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