PRINTER'S NO. 310
No. 298 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY RHOADES, EARLL, ORIE, COSTA, LEMMOND AND KITCHEN,
FEBRUARY 15, 2005
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 15, 2005
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 required training and
6 instruction for certain school directors.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
11 section to read:
12 Section 328. Required Training, Instruction and Examination
13 for Certain School Directors.--(a) School directors of school
14 districts of the first class A, second, third and fourth classes
15 elected at the municipal election of 2005 and thereafter shall
16 complete a course of training and instruction in the duties of
17 their offices and pass an examination within nine (9) months
18 after election to office.
19 (b) The Department of Education shall prescribe and approve
1 the subject matter for the course, the contents of the
2 examination and the criteria for passage of the examination
3 required by this section. The Department of Education shall
4 administer the course and conduct the examination. The Secretary
5 of Education shall appoint an advisory committee to provide
6 recommendations regarding the subject matter for the course, the
7 contents of the examination and the criteria for passage of the
8 examination. Such advisory committee shall include eleven (11)
9 members representing school board members, superintendents,
10 principals, business managers, teachers and curriculum
11 specialists.
12 (c) The course shall not exceed four (4) weeks in duration
13 and shall consist of a minimum of forty (40) hours of
14 instruction in school budgeting procedures, the administration
15 of school finances, collective bargaining, the academic
16 standards required by 22 Pa. Code Ch. 4 (relating to academic
17 standards and assessment), the requirements of the No Child Left
18 Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110, 115 Stat. 1425), methods
19 of assessment and accountability and other subjects the
20 Department of Education may require.
21 (d) Any interested person may apply to the Department of
22 Education to be enrolled in the course and take the examination.
23 Any such interested person who successfully completes the course
24 and passes the examination shall be issued a certificate as
25 provided for in subsection (e). An interested person who has
26 been issued a certificate and who is elected as a school
27 director of a school district of the first class A, second,
28 third or fourth class within five (5) years of the issuance of
29 the certificate shall be deemed to be in compliance with
30 subsection (a).
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1 (e) The Department of Education shall issue a certificate to
2 any person who successfully completes the course and passes the
3 examination. The certificate shall state that the person is
4 qualified to perform the duties of a school director in a school
5 district of the first class A, second, third or fourth class for
6 so long as such person serves as a school director.
7 (f) In the event that any school director of a school
8 district of the first class A, second, third or fourth class
9 fails to earn the certificate provided for by subsection (e)
10 within nine (9) months after election to office, the school
11 director shall resign from office and such vacancy shall be
12 filled as otherwise provided in this article. In the event that
13 a school director fails to resign from office as required by
14 this subsection, the school district in which the school
15 director was elected shall be ineligible to receive one-ninth of
16 the basic education funding allocation to which it would
17 otherwise be entitled.
18 (g) The Department of Education shall provide the course and
19 examination required by this section free of charge to any
20 elected school director. The Department of Education may charge
21 an interested person requesting enrollment in the course and
22 administration of the examination under subsection (d) a fee not
23 to exceed the cost of providing such course and administering
24 the examination.
25 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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