PRINTER'S NO. 2684
No. 2175 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY GEIST, GERLACH, DENT, FICHTER, CLARK, FARGO,
L. I. COHEN, PHILLIPS, SATHER, HENNESSEY, HESS, NYCE, GAMBLE,
OLASZ, CORRIGAN, BUXTON, MIHALICH, MARKOSEK, O'DONNELL,
DALEY, SAYLOR, MILLER, FARMER, HERSHEY, STERN, ARMSTRONG,
LAUB, YEWCIC, COLAIZZO, ARGALL, M. N. WRIGHT, STEELMAN,
WOGAN, DRUCE, LEE, MERRY, HUGHES, HUTCHINSON, FLICK, PETTIT,
ZUG, DEMPSEY, STABACK AND KELLER, OCTOBER 13, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, OCTOBER 13, 1993
AN ACT
1 Providing for the establishment of pilot educational boot camp
2 programs; and making an appropriation.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Educational
7 Boot Camp Act.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Boot camp personnel." Persons who have been honorably
13 discharged from the United States Armed Forces, have an
14 instructional specialty and are responsible for supervising
15 activities and providing instruction.
1 "Department." The Department of Education of the
2 Commonwealth.
3 "Educational boot camp." A program in which eligible
4 students are provided with rigorous physical activity, intensive
5 regimentation, discipline and continuing academic studies under
6 the direct supervision of boot camp personnel.
7 "Eligible student." A student in grades seven through 12,
8 identified by the school entity, who has failed to comply with
9 disciplinary policies established by the school entity.
10 "School entity." A school district or area vocational-
11 technical school.
12 "Secretary." The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth.
13 Section 3. Educational boot camp program.
14 (a) Establishment.--
15 (1) The board of school directors of any school district
16 may establish an educational boot camp program.
17 (2) The board of school directors of any school
18 district, consistent with section 1106 of the act of March
19 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of
20 1949, may hire necessary boot camp personnel.
21 (3) The board of school directors of any school district
22 may select a site on property presently owned by the school
23 district that is adequate to provide education for the number
24 of students identified by the school entity.
25 (b) Program objectives.--The following shall be the
26 objectives of the program:
27 (1) To protect the health and safety of the general
28 student population by providing a program for eligible
29 students which will promote proper classroom behavior and
30 reduce recidivism.
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1 (2) To provide an alternative placement for eligible
2 students who ordinarily would face suspension or expulsion
3 from school.
4 (3) To provide discipline and academic instruction for
5 eligible students.
6 (4) To utilize the experience and expertise of honorably
7 discharged members of the United States Armed Forces.
8 Section 4. Rules and regulations.
9 The secretary shall have the duty to promulgate guidelines,
10 which shall include, but not be limited to, programming,
11 supervision and administration. The department shall provide 12
12 weeks of intensive training for all boot camp personnel. The
13 training shall include pedagogical instruction.
14 Section 5. Certification of boot camp personnel.
15 (a) Waiver.--The secretary shall have the authority to waive
16 certification requirements for individuals who successfully
17 complete educational boot camp personnel training.
18 (b) Pursuit of certification.--Boot camp personnel must
19 pursue teacher certification through an approved teacher
20 certification program and must obtain certification within six
21 years of the date of initial employment.
22 Section 6. Pilot project.
23 (a) Grants.--The department shall make available one-time
24 grants for pilot educational boot camp projects in the 1994-1995
25 school year. The grants shall provide start-up funding which may
26 be used for boot camp personnel training, supplies or education
27 materials. A grant shall not exceed $25,000.
28 (b) Evaluation.--The department shall monitor and evaluate
29 the educational boot camp programs to ensure that the
30 programmatic objectives are met. The department shall present
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1 annual reports of the evaluations to the Education Committee of
2 the Senate and the Education Committee of the House of
3 Representatives no later than February 1 of each year.
4 Section 7. Appropriation.
5 The sum of $200,000, or as much thereof as may be necessary,
6 is hereby appropriated to the Department of Education for grants
7 for pilot projects under this act.
8 Section 8. Effective date.
9 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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