Bill Information

An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, adding definitions; requiring school districts to reopen their 2003-2004 budgets; further providing for fiscal year and delay of adoption of annual budget, for tax levy and limitations, for per capita taxes, for auxiliary services and for distress in school districts of the first class; providing for the imposition and collection of an earned income and net profits tax or personal income tax by school districts after approval by the electors, for State matching funds formula and for wage and net profits tax relief in cities of the first class; further providing for loan of textbooks, instructional materials and instructional equipment for nonpublic school children; deleting provisions relating to professional teacher assessment; providing for firefighter and emergency service training; amending provisions relating to the Education Support Services Program; providing for the Educational Assistance Program, the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program and for a child day care and early childhood development study; further providing for funding for charter schools, for causes for nonrenewal or termination of charter schools, for education empowerment districts and for school improvement grants; imposing certain limitations on provisions relating to education empowerment; further providing for financial program and reimbursement of payments relating to community colleges; amending provisions relating to educational improvement tax credit; further providing for payments on account of pupils enrolled in vocational curriculums, for small district assistance and for temporary special aid to school districts suffering loss of tax revenue under certain circumstances; providing for basic education funding for 2002-2003 school year; further providing for payments to intermediate units, for special education payments to school districts, for extraordinary special education program expenses and for Commonwealth reimbursements for charter schools and cyber charter schools; providing for Pennsylvania Accountability Grants; adding provisions relating to certain educational accountability; providing for Teacher Recruitment Assistance; establishing the Teacher Recruitment Assistance Fund; further providing for powers and duties of the State Board of Education; providing for applicability of referendum exceptions and making of elections; and making editorial changes.