PRINTER'S NO. 134
No. 123 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY LESCOVITZ, KOSINSKI, COWELL, CORRIGAN, LLOYD,
CAWLEY, TRELLO, DALEY, COLAIZZO, PRESTON AND VEON,
JANUARY 25, 1989
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 25, 1989
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 payments to
6 certain merged school districts.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 2517(d) of the act of March 10, 1949
10 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
11 amended July 1, 1985 (P.L.103, No.31), is amended to read:
12 Section 2517. Payments.--* * *
13 (d) Subsection (c) of this section shall apply to:
14 (1) All payments to which a school district is entitled
15 under any provision of sections 2502, 2502.3, 2502.4, 2502.8,
16 2502.9 and 2592 for the school year 1981-1982.
17 (2) Payments to which a school district is entitled under
18 any provision of sections 2502, 2502.8 and 2502.11 for the
19 school year 1982-1983 and the school year 1983-1984.
1 (3) Payments to which a school district is entitled under
2 any provision of sections 2502, 2502.8, 2502.11 and 2502.13 for
3 the school [year 1984-1985 and each school year thereafter.]
4 years 1984-1985, 1985-1986 and 1987-1988.
5 (4) Payments to which a school district is entitled under
6 any provision of sections 2502, 2502.8, 2502.11, 2502.13 and
7 2594 for the school year 1988-1989 and each school year
8 thereafter.
9 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
10 Section 2597. Subsidy Incentives Payable to Certain Merged
11 School Districts.--(a) The provisions of this section shall be
12 applicable to any school district created by the voluntary
13 merger of two or more former school districts on or after July
14 1, 1986, in accordance with the provisions of section 224 of
15 this act.
16 (b) The subsidy incentives provided for in this section
17 shall be paid to all qualified school districts in addition to
18 any other subsidies to which such districts shall be entitled:
19 Provided, however, That such incentives shall not be considered
20 to be part of any such school district's equalized subsidy for
21 basic education and shall not be considered in the computation
22 of any such school district's subsidy entitlements in future
23 years.
24 (c) An aid ratio incentive shall be computed as follows:
25 (1) During the first four years of existence of a qualifying
26 district, the Department of Education shall compute and pay the
27 district the equalized subsidy for basic education to which it
28 is entitled, according to the provisions of sections 2501, 2502,
29 2502.5, 2502.10(d) and 2502.11 of this act, in addition to which
30 the department shall compute and pay the aid ratio incentives
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1 provided for in clause (2) during the first such year, in clause
2 (3) during the second such year, in clause (4) during the third
3 such year and in clause (5) during the fourth such year.
4 (2) During the first year of existence of a qualifying
5 district, the department shall compute the district's
6 entitlement to the equalized subsidy for basic education using
7 only the aid ratio of the former district with the highest aid
8 ratio, and shall add to the payment provided for in clause (1)
9 the difference between the amounts computed in clauses (1) and
10 this clause.
11 (3) During the second year of existence of a qualifying
12 district, the department shall compute the district's
13 entitlement to the equalized subsidy for basic education using
14 only the aid ratio of the former district with the highest aid
15 ratio, and shall add to the payment provided for in clause (1)
16 seventy-five (75%) per centum of the difference between the
17 amounts computed in clauses (1) and this clause.
18 (4) During the third year of existence of a qualifying
19 district, the department shall compute the district's
20 entitlement to the equalized subsidy for basic education using
21 only the aid ratio of the former district with the highest aid
22 ratio, and shall add to the payment provided for in clause (1)
23 fifty (50%) per centum of the difference between the amounts
24 computed in clauses (1) and this clause.
25 (5) During the fourth year of existence of a qualifying
26 district, the department shall compute the district's
27 entitlement to the equalized subsidy for basic education using
28 only the aid ratio of the former district with the highest aid
29 ratio, and shall add to the payment provided for in clause (1)
30 twenty-five (25%) per centum of the difference between the
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1 amounts computed in clauses (1) and this clause.
2 (6) During the fifth year of existence of a qualifying
3 district, the department shall compute and pay such district
4 only the amount of equalized subsidy for basic education to
5 which it is entitled, in accordance with the provisions cited in
6 clause (1).
7 (d) A pupil incentive grant shall be computed as follows:
8 (1) During the first year of existence of a qualifying
9 district, the Department of Education shall compute and pay the
10 district a grant determined by multiplying twenty (20%) per
11 centum of the average actual instruction expense per weighted
12 average daily membership of the former districts for the
13 previous year by the total weighted average daily membership of
14 the former districts the previous year.
15 (2) During the second year of existence of a qualifying
16 district, the department shall compute and pay the district a
17 grant determined by multiplying fifteen (15%) per centum of the
18 average actual instruction expense per weighted average daily
19 membership of the former districts for the previous year by the
20 number of pupils in weighted average daily membership in the
21 district the previous year.
22 (3) During the third year of existence of a qualifying
23 district, the department shall compute and pay the district a
24 grant determined by multiplying ten (10%) per centum of the
25 average actual instruction expense per weighted average daily
26 membership of the former districts for the previous year by the
27 number of pupils in weighted average daily membership in the
28 district the previous year.
29 (4) During the fourth year of existence of a qualifying
30 district, the department shall compute and pay the district a
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1 grant determined by multiplying five (5%) per centum of the
2 average actual instruction expense per weighted average daily
3 membership of the former districts for the previous year by the
4 number of pupils in weighted average daily membership in the
5 district the previous year.
6 (e) Annually, in his initial budget request, the Secretary
7 of Education shall report to the Governor on mergers anticipated
8 the following year which would qualify districts for the subsidy
9 incentives provided for in this section, along with an estimate
10 of the appropriation needed to meet the requirements of this
11 section. Annually, the Governor shall include such information
12 in his budget message to the General Assembly.
13 (f) Any funds appropriated by the General Assembly for the
14 purposes of this section which, at the end of any year, remain
15 unexpended shall be lapsed in accordance with the provisions of
16 section 621 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known
17 as "The Administrative Code of 1929."
18 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 1989.
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