SENATE AMENDED
        PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 86, 1826, 2556,          PRINTER'S NO. 3011
        2736

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 76 Session of 1977


        INTRODUCED BY MR. GARZIA, FEBRUARY 7, 1977

        AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, IN SENATE, APRIL 11, 1978

                                     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 alternative methods of
     6     equalizing tax levies among certain school districts, AND      <--
     7     PROVIDING FOR RESIDENCY OF CERTAIN SCHOOL EMPLOYES.

     8     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     9  hereby enacts as follows:
    10     Section 1.  Section 672.1, act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
    11  No.14), known as the "Public School Code of 1949," amended June
    12  30, 1971 (P.L.186, No.25), is amended and a section is added to
    13  read:
    14     Section 672.1.  School Districts Lying in More Than One
    15  County or in More Than One Municipality; Limitation on Total Tax
    16  Revenues.--(a)  Whenever a school district shall lie in more
    17  than one county, the total taxes levied on real estate within
    18  the school district in each county shall be subject to the
    19  limitation that the ratio which such total bears to the most
    20  recent valuation of the same properties by the State Tax

     1  Equalization Board shall be uniform in all of the counties, and
     2  the school district shall adjust its rate of taxation applicable
     3  to the portion of the district in each county to the extent
     4  necessary to achieve such uniformity; or
     5     (b)  As an alternative to the method provided in subsection
     6  (a), whenever a school district shall lie in more than one
     7  county the board of assessment and revision of taxes in any of
     8  the counties or all of the counties in which the school district
     9  is located shall, at the request of the school directors of the
    10  district, furnish the market value of each parcel of property on
    11  the tax roll required to be furnished to the school directors
    12  under any assessment law of the Commonwealth. The market value
    13  of each parcel shall be the quotient of the assessed value
    14  divided by the latest ratio of assessed value to market value in
    15  the municipality as determined by the State Tax Equalization
    16  Board, or, at the option of the school district, the market
    17  value of each parcel shall be the quotient of the assessed value
    18  divided by the latest ratio of assessed value to market value as
    19  determined by the State Tax Equalization Board in the aggregate
    20  of all municipalities of the school district within the county,
    21  or at the option of the school district where there are two or
    22  more ratios of assessed value to market value, the school
    23  directors of that school district shall select the lowest of the
    24  ratios for a uniform assessed value to market value throughout
    25  the school district, or at the option of the school district
    26  where such school district is located in a home rule county, the
    27  school directors of that school district may use the county
    28  assessments.
    29     The school directors shall set a tax rate based upon a
    30  percentage not exceeding seventy-five (75) per centum of such
    19770H0076B3011                  - 2 -

     1  market values which shall be uniform throughout the district.
     2     (c)  In the event a school district or part thereof located
     3  within one county is composed of two or more municipal
     4  governments at least one of which levies property taxes upon
     5  assessments made for county tax purposes and at least one of
     6  which utilizes separate assessments made for municipal tax
     7  purposes, the property tax levy for school district purposes
     8  shall be equalized by either of the methods prescribed in
     9  subsections (a) or (b). If the former method is adopted, the
    10  ratio which the total taxes levied in each part of the school
    11  district bears to the most recent valuation of the same
    12  properties by the State Tax Equalization Board shall be uniform;
    13  if the latter method is adopted, the market value of each parcel
    14  of property on the tax roll shall be (i) in the case of the
    15  assessment made for county tax purposes, the quotient of the
    16  assessed value divided by the latest ratio of assessed value to
    17  market value for that portion of the school district as
    18  determined by the State Tax Equalization Board and, (ii) in the
    19  case of the separate assessment for municipal tax purposes, the
    20  quotient of the assessed value divided by the product of the
    21  latest ratio of assessed value to market value in the
    22  municipality as determined by the State Tax Equalization Board
    23  and the ratio of the total assessed valuation of the same
    24  properties for municipal tax purposes to the total assessed
    25  valuation of said properties for county tax purposes: Provided,
    26  however, That no municipality or political subdivision within a
    27  school district shall pay an aggregate amount in school property
    28  taxes which, as a percentage of total school property taxes,
    29  shall exceed the ratio of its market value to the total market
    30  value of the school district as determined by the State Tax
    19770H0076B3011                  - 3 -

     1  Equalization Board.
     2     (d)  Whenever a revision of assessment is completed in any
     3  portion of a school district and the revised assessments are to
     4  be used for school tax purposes the method prescribed in
     5  subsection (b) above to equalize school property tax levies
     6  shall not be used until the latest ratio of assessed value to
     7  market value as determined by the State Tax Equalization Board
     8  for that portion of the school district is based upon the
     9  revised assessments.
    10     Section 672.2.  School Districts Lying in More Than One
    11  County; Tax Levy on Occupations.--Any school district which lies
    12  in more than one (1) county and which levies an occupation tax,
    13  shall levy such tax uniformly upon each occupational category
    14  existing in all counties in which the district lies, at the
    15  lowest assessed valuation for each equivalent occupational
    16  category as certified to the school district by the counties in
    17  which the district lies.
    18     SECTION 2.  SECTION 1106 OF THE ACT IS AMENDED TO READ:        <--
    19     SECTION 1106.  DUTY TO EMPLOY.--THE BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS
    20  IN EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL EMPLOY THE NECESSARY QUALIFIED
    21  PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYES, SUBSTITUTES AND TEMPORARY PROFESSIONAL
    22  EMPLOYES TO KEEP THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OPEN IN THEIR RESPECTIVE
    23  DISTRICTS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT. NO
    24  SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL REQUIRE THAT ANY EMPLOYE RESIDE WITHIN THE
    25  SCHOOL DISTRICT AS A CONDITION FOR APPOINTMENT OR CONTINUED
    26  EMPLOYMENT. EXCEPT SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF THE FIRST CLASS AND FIRST  <--
    27  CLASS A WHICH MAY REQUIRE SUCH RESIDENCY.
    28     Section 2. 3.  This act shall take effect immediately.         <--


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