PRINTER'S NO. 1921
No. 1550 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY GAMBLE, MISCEVICH, DAWIDA, DUFFY AND BOWSER,
OCTOBER 11, 1983
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, OCTOBER 11, 1983
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," changing provisions relating to
6 election of school directors by regions.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 303(b) 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, 1978 (P.L.575, No.105), is amended to read:
12 Section 303. Number and Election in Districts of the Second,
13 Third and Fourth Classes; Terms of Office.--* * *
14 (b) (1) The interim operating committee or the board of
15 school directors [may] shall develop a plan to elect [school
16 directors from regions or to elect] some school directors at
17 large and some from regions. Regions shall be composed of
18 boroughs and townships within the school district and each
19 borough within the district shall be a separate region, as shall
1 each township. Each region shall be represented by an elected
2 director. Such a plan may [also] be developed by the resident
3 electors of a school district as provided herein and shall have
4 the same effect as one developed by the board of school
5 directors, if the board of school directors approves the plan
6 submitted.
7 (2) Electors equal to at least twenty-five (25) per centum
8 of the highest vote cast for any school director in the last
9 municipal election may develop a plan to elect [school directors
10 from regions or to elect] some school directors from regions and
11 some from the school district at large. Plans proposed by
12 electors shall be subject to the same requirements as plans
13 proposed by the board of school directors.
14 [(3) The boundaries of the regions shall be fixed and
15 established in such manner that the population of each region
16 shall be as nearly equal as possible and shall be compatible
17 with the boundaries of election districts. Such plan for the
18 division of the school district shall be submitted for approval
19 to the court of common pleas. If approved by such court, the
20 clerk thereof shall certify the regional boundaries contained
21 therein to the county board of elections. In the event of any
22 division, redivision, alteration, change or consolidation of
23 election districts which renders regional boundaries
24 incompatible with the boundaries of election districts, a new
25 plan shall be developed and submitted for court approval in like
26 manner. Any proposed change in an approved plan, including
27 abolition of regional representation, shall be submitted for
28 approval to the court of common pleas by the board of school
29 directors, or by a petition of the resident electors within the
30 district. Where a region plan is approved, school directors who
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1 reside in each region shall be elected by and from each region.
2 At all times each region shall be represented by directors
3 elected or appointed from that region. Where a combination at
4 large and region plan is approved, all regions shall have an
5 equal number of school directors who reside in each region and
6 who shall be elected or appointed by and from each region. At
7 all times each region shall be represented by a director or
8 directors elected or appointed from that region. All plans shall
9 provide that three school directors shall be elected at each
10 municipal election. In a combination at large and region plan,
11 the number of regions shall be three. In a region plan not
12 combining at large directors, the number of regions shall be
13 three or nine.]
14 * * *
15 Section 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 1984.
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