PRINTER'S NO. 716
No. 54 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY LESCOVITZ, THOMAS, DeWEESE, CAPPABIANCA,
MICHLOVIC, TIGUE, CALTAGIRONE, READSHAW, M. COHEN, LAUGHLIN,
LEVDANSKY, LUCYK, CAWLEY, BEBKO-JONES, ROBINSON, GRUCELA,
FREEMAN, COSTA, HORSEY, YOUNGBLOOD, BELFANTI, STURLA, GEIST,
STEELMAN, DeLUCA, PRESTON, SHANER, PETRARCA, WOJNAROSKI,
McCALL, WASHINGTON, BROWNE AND DALEY, FEBRUARY 13, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, FEBRUARY 13, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Standing Subcommittee on Basic Education of the
2 Committee on Education to conduct a study of a countywide
3 system and a regional system of school districts for this
4 Commonwealth.
5 WHEREAS, This Commonwealth currently has 501 school
6 districts, including several school districts with fewer that
7 500 students; and
8 WHEREAS, This large number of school districts may cause
9 fiscal inefficiencies due to the overlaps in school district
10 administrative positions, purchasing, transportation and other
11 areas of high cost to school districts; and
12 WHEREAS, Many other states in the nation have school
13 districts which are organized on a countywide or regional basis;
14 and
15 WHEREAS, There could be significant financial and
16 administrative benefits to reducing the number of school
17 districts in this Commonwealth; and
1 WHEREAS, The taxpayers and students of this Commonwealth may
2 benefit from potential financial savings; and
3 WHEREAS, There may also be significant transitional costs
4 related to a consolidation of school districts into countywide
5 or regional districts; and
6 WHEREAS, Changes in current State law or changes in the
7 Constitution of Pennsylvania may be required to effect a
8 consolidation of school districts in this Commonwealth; and
9 WHEREAS, There is a need to study the benefits and detriments
10 of changing to a countywide or regional system of school
11 districts that exists in other states; therefore be it
12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
13 Standing Subcommittee on Basic Education of the Committee on
14 Education to conduct a study to determine the efficacy and
15 potential costs and benefits of consolidating school districts
16 in this Commonwealth into countywide or regional school
17 districts; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That the Standing Subcommittee on Basic Education
19 of the Committee on Education determine any current legal
20 impediments to school district consolidation and ways in which
21 State law must be changed to effect a consolidation of school
22 districts in this Commonwealth.
L28L82JS/20010H0054R0716 - 2 -