PRINTER'S NO. 199
No. 161 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY RHOADES, MUSTO, WASHINGTON, KITCHEN, D. WHITE AND EARLL, MARCH 6, 2007
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MARCH 6, 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 required training and 6 instruction for certain school directors. 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 328. Required Training, Instruction and Examination 13 for Certain School Directors.--(a) School directors of school 14 districts of the first class A, second, third and fourth classes 15 elected at the municipal election of 2007 and thereafter shall 16 complete a course of training and instruction in the duties of 17 their offices and pass an examination within nine (9) months 18 after election to office. 19 (b) The Department of Education shall prescribe and approve
1 the subject matter for the course, the contents of the 2 examination and the criteria for passage of the examination 3 required by this section. The Department of Education shall 4 administer the course and conduct the examination. The Secretary 5 of Education shall appoint an advisory committee to provide 6 recommendations regarding the subject matter for the course, the 7 contents of the examination and the criteria for passage of the 8 examination. Such advisory committee shall include eleven (11) 9 members representing school board members, superintendents, 10 principals, business managers, teachers and curriculum 11 specialists. 12 (c) The course shall not exceed four (4) weeks in duration 13 and shall consist of a minimum of forty (40) hours of 14 instruction in school budgeting procedures, the administration 15 of school finances, collective bargaining, the academic 16 standards required by 22 Pa. Code Ch. 4 (relating to academic 17 standards and assessment), the requirements of the No Child Left 18 Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110, 115 Stat. 1425), methods 19 of assessment and accountability and other subjects the 20 Department of Education may require. 21 (d) (1) Any interested person may apply to the Department 22 of Education to be enrolled in the course and take the 23 examination. Any such interested person who successfully 24 completes the course and passes the examination shall be issued 25 a certificate as provided for in subsection (e). 26 (2) Any interested person who has been issued a certificate 27 and who is elected as a school director of a school district of 28 the first class A, second, third or fourth class within five (5) 29 years of the issuance of the certificate shall be deemed to be 30 in compliance with subsection (a). 20070S0161B0199 - 2 -
1 (e) The Department of Education shall issue a certificate to 2 any person who successfully completes the course and passes the 3 examination. The certificate shall state that the person is 4 qualified to perform the duties of a school director in a school 5 district of the first class A, second, third or fourth class for 6 so long as such person serves as a school director. 7 (f) (1) In the event that any school director of a school 8 district of the first class A, second, third or fourth class 9 fails to earn the certificate provided for by subsection (e) 10 within nine (9) months after election to office, the school 11 director shall resign from office and such vacancy shall be 12 filled as otherwise provided in this article. 13 (2) In the event that a school director fails to resign from 14 office as required by this subsection, the school district in 15 which the school director was elected shall be ineligible to 16 receive one-ninth of the basic education funding allocation to 17 which it would otherwise be entitled. 18 (g) The Department of Education shall provide the course and 19 examination required by this section free of charge to any 20 elected school director. The Department of Education may charge 21 an interested person requesting enrollment in the course and 22 administration of the examination under subsection (d) a fee not 23 to exceed the cost of providing such course and administering 24 the examination. 25 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. A9L24DMS/20070S0161B0199 - 3 -