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Pennsylvania State Senate
09/20/2024 02:31 AM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20190&cosponId=30023
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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: July 29, 2019 10:39 AM
From: Senator John P. Blake
To: All Senate members
Subject: School Board and Administrative Financial Reform Package
 
I intend to introduce two companion bills to Rep. Anthony DeLuca’s School Board and Administrative Reform Package. My hope is that these bills can protect taxpayers across Pennsylvania, regardless of the location of the school district. Taxpayers, teachers and students across Pennsylvania are impacted by the decisions made in other districts.

The Allegheny County grand jury produced several recommendations in response to an audit of the Penn Hills school district. Two of these recommendations will be encompassed in my legislation. Similarly, to the Penn Hills School District, I want to protect my own district and the school districts across Pennsylvania from improper use of taxpayer dollars.

Please join me in helping to protect taxpayers from the potential for financially harmful decisions.


Document #1

Description: The first bill will amend the School Code to require all school districts to utilize a referendum for any borrowing by a school district which would amount to 50 percent or more of its borrowing base limit.  A school districts borrowing base limit determines how much debt a school district can incur.  A higher borrowing base capacity available indicates a greater ability to borrow money.  This change is needed to protect districts from becoming over-leveraged which will inevitably hurt a school’s financial health and stability.  This is a companion bill to HB 1485.
 

Document #2

Description: The second bill will amend the School Code to ensure that both revenues and expenses are considered when determining a school district’s borrowing base limit. Current law restricts schools from borrowing beyond a certain borrowing base, however current law does not account for a school’s expenditures.  This is a companion bill to HB 1482.