PRINTER'S NO. 1975
No. 1381 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY LOGAN, MUSTO, COSTA, FONTANA, TARTAGLIONE, STOUT, KITCHEN, LAVALLE, KASUNIC AND C. WILLIAMS, APRIL 28, 2008
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, APRIL 28, 2008
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 education 6 empowerment districts. 7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 8 hereby enacts as follows: 9 Section 1. Section 1705-B(h) of the act of March 10, 1949 10 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, 11 amended July 11, 2006 (P.L.1092, No.114) and July 20, 2007 12 (P.L.278, No.45), is amended to read: 13 Section 1705-B. Education Empowerment Districts.--* * * 14 (h) (1) A school district under a declaration of distress 15 pursuant to section 691(a) and certified as an education 16 empowerment district shall be operated by a special board of 17 control established under section 692. A board of control 18 established under this section shall be abolished upon the 19 appointment of a special board of control under section 692. 20 (2) For a school district under a declaration of distress
1 pursuant to section 691(a) and certified as an education 2 empowerment district, the special board of control established 3 under section 692 shall have the powers and duties of a special 4 board of control under section 692 and the powers and duties 5 contained in section 1706-B. 6 (3) For a school district with a history of low test 7 performance that is certified as distressed for a minimum period 8 of two (2) years under sections 691 and 692, the department 9 shall waive the inclusion of the school district on the 10 education empowerment list under section 1703-B(a) and 11 immediately certify the school district as an education 12 empowerment district. 13 (4) The department may utilize up to $4,500,000 of 14 undistributed funds not expended, encumbered or committed from 15 appropriations for grants and subsidies made to the department 16 to assist school districts certified as an education empowerment 17 district under paragraph (3). There is hereby established a 18 restricted account from which payments under this paragraph 19 shall be paid. Funds shall be transferred by the Secretary of 20 the Budget to the restricted account to the extent necessary to 21 make payments under this paragraph. Funds in the restricted 22 account are hereby appropriated to carry out the purposes of 23 this paragraph. The subsidy payment from this account shall be 24 utilized to supplement the operational budget of the eligible 25 school districts. This paragraph shall apply to fiscal years 26 2000-2001, 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005- 27 2006, 2006-2007 [and], 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 and shall expire 28 June 30, [2008] 2009. 29 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008, or 30 immediately, whichever is later. A31L24VDL/20080S1381B1975 - 2 -