PRINTER'S NO. 1961
No. 1561 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY S. H. SMITH, REED, BAKER, CAPPELLI, GEORGE,
READSHAW, MARSHALL, KILLION, PAYNE, ARGALL, GRELL, PICKETT,
WATSON, DALLY, FAIRCHILD, SOLOBAY, GODSHALL, MUSTIO, ROSS,
McILHATTAN, ADOLPH, HICKERNELL, SAINATO, PALLONE, TRUE,
CLYMER, THOMAS, O'NEILL, MAJOR, RUBLEY, PYLE, FLECK, EVERETT,
KIRKLAND, R. STEVENSON, BENNINGHOFF, SONNEY, RAPP, REICHLEY,
GINGRICH, MOYER, BOYD, GEIST, PASHINSKI, MILLARD, GOODMAN,
PHILLIPS, GIBBONS, KORTZ AND BROOKS, JUNE 18, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 18, 2007
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," providing for Tools of the Trade
6 Grants.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
11 section to read:
12 Section 2599.4. Tools of the Trade Grants.--(a) Beginning
13 with the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the department shall establish a
14 program of annual Tools of the Trade Grants for the benefit of
15 students enrolled in each of this Commonwealth's school
16 districts, area vocational-technical schools and career and
17 technical education centers.
1 (b) (1) Funds obtained under this section shall be used by
2 a school district to purchase any of the following:
3 (i) textbooks in any of the core academic subjects;
4 (ii) instructional materials and instructional equipment
5 used to support any of the core academic subjects; or
6 (iii) applied knowledge.
7 (2) Funds obtained under this section shall be used by an
8 area vocational-technical school or career and technical
9 education centers to purchase any of the following:
10 (i) applied knowledge; or
11 (ii) vocational equipment.
12 (c) (1) No later than July 30, 2007, the department shall
13 notify each school district, vocational-technical school and
14 career and technical education center of the grant amount it
15 will receive under subsection (d).
16 (2) Within thirty (30) days of receipt of the notification
17 under paragraph (1), the school district area vocational-
18 technical school and career and technical education center shall
19 submit an application to the department that includes a Tools of
20 the Trade Grant use plan. The plan shall include:
21 (i) The specific purchases to be made utilizing funds
22 obtained under this section.
23 (ii) In the case of textbook or instructional materials and
24 instructional equipment, the core academic subjects being
25 supported.
26 (iii) An estimated cost for each item to be purchased.
27 (d) (1) During the 2007-2008 school year, the department
28 shall pay to each school district, area vocational-technical
29 school and career and technical education center a Tools of the
30 Trade grant calculated as follows:
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1 (i) Calculate the sum of the 2006-2007 average daily
2 membership in grades 7 through 12 for all school districts added
3 to the sum of the 2006-2007 average daily membership enrolled in
4 approved vocational education programs for all area vocational-
5 technical schools and career and technical education centers.
6 (ii) Divide the total obtained from subparagraph (i) into
7 twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000).
8 (iii) The department shall pay a grant to each school
9 district calculated as follows:
10 (A) Multiply the district's 2006-2007 average daily
11 membership in grades seven through twelve by its 2006-2007
12 market value/income aid ratio.
13 (B) Multiply the product from clause (A) by the quotient
14 calculated pursuant to subparagraph (ii).
15 (iv) The department shall pay a grant to each area
16 vocational-technical school and career and technical education
17 center calculated by multiplying the area vocational-technical
18 school or career and technical education center's 2006-2007
19 average daily membership enrolled in approved vocational
20 education programs by the amount calculated pursuant to
21 subparagraph (ii).
22 (2) Grants awarded under this section shall be paid to
23 school districts, area vocational-technical schools and career
24 and technical education centers on the last Thursday of
25 September.
26 (3) The amount of Tools of the Trade Grant funding provided
27 under this section shall be limited to funds appropriated for
28 this purpose.
29 (e) (1) The department shall establish reporting procedures
30 and auditing guidelines to ensure that grant funds are utilized
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1 in accordance with subsection (b)(1) and (2).
2 (2) School districts, area vocational-technical schools and
3 career and technical education centers shall maintain separate
4 accounts in their budgets to facilitate monitoring the use of
5 the grant funds.
6 (3) In no case shall a school district, area vocational-
7 technical school or career and technical education center use
8 grant funds for administrative costs as defined by the
9 department.
10 (4) The department shall reduce the amount of State grant
11 subsidy payment to a school district by the amount of any grant
12 funds provided under this section if the school district does
13 not utilize the grant funds in accordance with subsection (b)
14 and the application submitted pursuant to subsection (c).
15 (5) No school district, area vocational-technical school or
16 career and technical education center may place grant funds
17 received under this section in a reserve account.
18 (f) No later than February 1, 2008, and February 1 of each
19 year thereafter, the department shall submit a report to the
20 chairmen and minority chairmen of the Education Committee and
21 the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the chairmen and
22 minority chairmen of the Education Committee and the
23 Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives
24 summarizing the operation of the program for that fiscal year.
25 The report shall include:
26 (1) A description of the operation of the program.
27 (2) A summary of the total amount of grant funds paid to
28 each school district, area vocational-technical school and
29 career and technical education center.
30 (3) A listing of each school district, area vocational-
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1 technical school and career and technical education center and
2 the purchases under subsection (b) for which the grant funds
3 were used.
4 (g) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
5 shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:
6 "Applied knowledge." Information technology, computer
7 equipment, education software and related advanced technologies
8 necessary to increase students' access to worldwide information
9 and their expertise in this regard.
10 "Core academic subject." A core academic subject as defined
11 in 22 Pa. Code § 403.2 (relating to definitions).
12 "Department." The Department of Education of the
13 Commonwealth.
14 "Grant." Tools of the Trade Grant awarded under this
15 section.
16 "Instructional equipment." Instructional equipment, other
17 than fixtures annexed to and forming part of real estate, which
18 is suitable for and to be used by children or teachers. The term
19 includes, but is not limited to, projection equipment, recording
20 equipment, laboratory equipment and any other educational
21 equipment that may be of benefit to the instruction of public
22 school children of this Commonwealth.
23 "Instructional materials." Books other than textbooks,
24 periodicals, documents, pamphlets, photographs, reproductions,
25 pictorial or graphic works, musical scores, maps, charts, globes
26 and sound recordings, including, but not limited to, those on
27 discs and tapes, processed slides, transparencies, films,
28 filmstrips, kinescopes and video tapes or any other printed and
29 published materials of a similar nature made by any method.
30 "Local education agency." A school district, area
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1 vocational-technical school or career and technical education
2 center.
3 "Textbook." A book, a system of instructional materials
4 including digital texts, or a combination of a book and
5 supplementary instructional materials, that conveys information
6 to a student or otherwise contributes to the learning process.
7 The term includes a book, reusable workbook or manual, whether
8 bound or in loose-leaf form, intended for use as a principal
9 source of study material for a given class or group of students,
10 a copy of which is expected to be available for the individual
11 use of each pupil in such class or group and that is acceptable
12 for use in any public, elementary or secondary school of this
13 Commonwealth.
14 "Vocational equipment." Equipment that meets industry
15 standards for the purpose of providing training to students to
16 support approved career and technical education programs aligned
17 with targeted industry clusters and high priority jobs
18 including:
19 (1) advanced materials and diversified manufacturing;
20 (2) agriculture and food production;
21 (3) building and construction;
22 (4) business and financial services;
23 (5) information and communication services;
24 (6) life sciences, including biomedical and health care;
25 (7) logistics and transportation; and
26 (8) lumber wood and paper.
27 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007, or
28 immediately, whichever is later.
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