Bill Information

An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, further providing for background checks of prospective employees; providing for optometric externs; further providing for management information reports, for reports to the Secretary of Education, for withholding of State appropriations, for delinquent taxes and appointment of collector, for power of board of school directors to reopen certain budgets, for referendum or public hearing required prior to construction or lease and for school police officers; providing for attendance at schools for the performing arts; further providing for cost of tuition and maintenance of certain exceptional children in approved institutions and for actual cost of tuition and maintenance of certain exceptional children in chartered schools for the sight and hearing impaired; providing for agreements with institutions of higher education; further providing for firefighter and emergency services training and for educational assistance program; adding provisions relating to character education program; establishing the Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee; further providing for powers of charter schools, for charter school facilities, for causes for nonrenewal or termination of charter, for education empowerment districts, for mandate waiver program, for limitations on education empowerment districts and for election or appointment and term and organization of boards of trustees of community colleges; providing for Community College Nonmandated Capital Restricted Account; further providing for Board of Governors of the State System of Higher Education, for educational improvement tax credit, for small district assistance and for temporary special aid to school districts; providing for basic education funding for 2003-2004 school year and for payments on account of Limited English Proficiency programs; and further providing for payments to intermediate units, for special education payments to school districts, for Commonwealth reimbursements for charter schools and cyber charter schools and for Pennsylvania Accountability grants.