PRINTER'S NO. 1083
No. 975 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY EVANS, MAHER, HORSEY, ROBINSON, RAMOS AND
M. COHEN, MARCH 22, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 22, 1999
AN ACT
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," further providing for charter school
6 grants.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 1731-A of the act of March 10, 1949
10 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, added
11 June 19, 1997 (P.L.225, No.22), is amended to read:
12 Section 1731-A. Charter School Grants.--(a) The secretary
13 shall allocate grants for planning and start-up funding to
14 eligible applicants under section 1717-A from funds appropriated
15 for the implementation of this act.
16 (1) Planning grant applications shall be filed on a form and
17 by a date determined by the secretary. The amount of a grant may
18 vary depending on the size and scope of the planning needed by
19 the applicant. The application shall address the manner in which
1 the applicant plans to address the criteria established for
2 charter schools in sections 1715-A and 1717-A.
3 (2) Start-up funding grant applications shall be filed on a
4 form and by a date determined by the secretary. The applicant
5 for the charter school shall submit its application for a
6 charter when applying for the grant. A grant for start-up
7 funding may vary depending on the size and special
8 characteristics of the charter school. A start-up grant may be
9 used to meet the expenses of the charter school as established
10 in their charter and as authorized in the provisions of this
11 article.
12 (3) Payments shall be made to the charter school for the
13 cost of facilities. Payments shall be made annually from funds
14 appropriated for this purpose to the Department of Education.
15 Funds appropriated under this paragraph shall not be subject to
16 the requirements of section 1722-A. Payments to charter schools
17 for this purpose during the 1999-2000 fiscal year shall be at
18 the rate of nine hundred dollars ($900) per enrolled pupil. Per
19 pupil payments in subsequent years shall be increased by the
20 same percent increase provided for the subsidy for basic
21 education appropriation. Funds provided to a charter school
22 under this clause shall be used only for the following purposes:
23 (i) the initial purchase of land, buildings, service systems
24 and built-in equipment;
25 (ii) construction, remodeling, additions and improvements to
26 buildings;
27 (iii) initial installation, replacement or extension of
28 service systems and other built-in equipment;
29 (iv) improvements to sites;
30 (v) debt service payments;
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1 (vi) costs for the rental or leasing of lands and buildings;
2 and
3 (vii) other related activities.
4 (b) The applicant shall include a copy of a letter informing
5 the local board of school directors of the school district of
6 the application for the planning grant if the location of the
7 proposed charter school is known. An applicant receiving a
8 start-up funding grant shall notify the school district or
9 districts signing the charter of receipt of this grant.
10 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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