PRINTER'S NO. 300
No. 276 Session of 1987
INTRODUCED BY LESCOVITZ, LLOYD, DALEY, TRELLO, VEON AND PRESTON,
FEBRUARY 11, 1987
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 11, 1987
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," further providing for payments to
6 certain merged school districts.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 2517(d) 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, 1985 (P.L.103, No.31), is amended to read:
12 Section 2517. Payments.--* * *
13 (d) Subsection (c) of this section shall apply to:
14 (1) All payments to which a school district is entitled
15 under any provision of sections 2502, 2502.3, 2502.4, 2502.8,
16 2502.9 and 2592 for the school year 1981-1982.
17 (2) Payments to which a school district is entitled under
18 any provision of sections 2502, 2502.8 and 2502.11 for the
19 school year 1982-1983 and the school year 1983-1984.
1 (3) Payments to which a school district is entitled under
2 any provision of sections 2502, 2502.8, 2502.11 and 2502.13 for
3 the school [year 1984-1985 and each school year thereafter.]
4 years 1984-1985 and 1985-1986.
5 (4) Payments to which a school district is entitled under
6 any provision of sections 2502, 2502.8, 2502.11, 2502.13 and
7 2594 for the school year 1986-1987 and each school year
8 thereafter.
9 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
10 Section 2594. Subsidy Incentives Payable to Certain Merged
11 School Districts.--(a) The provisions of this section shall be
12 applicable to any school district created by the voluntary
13 merger of two or more former school districts on or after July
14 1, 1986, in accordance with the provisions of section 224 of
15 this act: Provided, That at least one of the former school
16 districts had fewer than one thousand five hundred ($1,500)
17 students in students in average daily membership during the last
18 year of its existence as a school district and was less than
19 twenty-five (25) square miles in size.
20 (b) The subsidy incentives provided for in this section
21 shall be paid to all qualified school districts in addition to
22 any other subsidies in which such districts shall be entitled:
23 Provided, however, That such incentives shall not be considered
24 to be part of any such school district's equalized subsidy for
25 basic education and shall not be considered in the computation
26 of any such school district's subsidy entitlements in future
27 years.
28 (c) An aid ratio incentive shall be computed as follows:
29 (1) During the first four years of existence of a qualifying
30 district, the Department of Education shall compute and pay the
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1 district the equalized subsidy for basic education to which it
2 is entitled, according to the provisions of sections 2501, 2502,
3 2502.5, 2502.10(d) and 2502.11 of this act, in addition to which
4 the department shall compute and pay the aid ratio incentives
5 provided for in clause (2) during the first such year, in clause
6 (3) during the second such year, in clause (4) during the third
7 such year and in clause (5) during the fourth such year.
8 (2) During the first year of existence of a qualifying
9 district, the department shall compute the district's
10 entitlement to the equalized subsidy for basic education using
11 only the aid ratio of the former district with the highest aid
12 ratio, and shall add to the payment provided for in clause (1)
13 the difference between the amounts computed in clauses (1) and
14 (2).
15 (3) During the second year of existence of a qualifying
16 district, the department shall compute the district's
17 entitlement to the equalized subsidy for basic education using
18 only the aid ratio of the former district with the highest aid
19 ratio, and shall add to the payment provided for in clause (1)
20 seventy-five (75%) per centum of the difference between the
21 amounts computed in clauses (1) and (3).
22 (4) During the third year of existence of a qualifying
23 district, the department shall compute the district's
24 entitlement to the equalized subsidy for basic education using
25 only the aid ratio of the former district with the highest aid
26 ratio, and shall add to the payment provided for in clause (1)
27 fifty (50%) per centum of the difference between the amounts
28 computed in clauses (1) and (4).
29 (5) During the fourth year of existence of a qualifying
30 district, the department shall compute the district's
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1 entitlement to the equalized subsidy for basic education using
2 only the aid ratio of the former district with the highest aid
3 ratio, and shall add to the payment provided for in clause (1)
4 twenty-five (25%) per centum of the difference between the
5 amounts computed in clauses (1) and (5).
6 (6) During the fifth year of existence of a qualifying
7 district, the department shall compute and pay such district
8 only the amount of equalized subsidy for basic education to
9 which it is entitled, in accordance with the provisions cited in
10 clause (1).
11 (d) A pupil incentive grant shall be computed as follows:
12 (1) During the first year of existence of a qualifying
13 district, the Department of Education shall compute and pay the
14 district a grant determined by multiplying twenty (20%) per
15 centum of the Statewide median actual instruction expense per
16 weighted average daily membership the previous year by the total
17 weighted average daily membership of the former districts the
18 previous year.
19 (2) During the second year of existence of a qualifying
20 district, the department shall compute and pay the district a
21 grant determined by multiplying fifteen (15%) per centum of the
22 Statewide median actual instruction expense per weighted average
23 daily membership the previous year by the number of pupils in
24 weighted average daily membership in the district the previous
25 year.
26 (3) During the third year of existence of a qualifying
27 district, the department shall compute and pay the district a
28 grant determined by multiplying ten (10%) per centum of the
29 Statewide median actual instruction expense per weighted average
30 daily membership the previous year by the number of pupils in
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1 weighted average daily membership in the district the previous
2 year.
3 (4) During the fourth year of existence of a qualifying
4 district, the department shall compute and pay the district a
5 grant determined by multiplying five (5%) per centum of the
6 Statewide median actual instruction expense per weighted average
7 daily membership the previous year by the number of pupils in
8 weighted average daily membership in the district the previous
9 year.
10 (e) Annually, in his initial budget request, the Secretary
11 of Education shall report to the Governor on mergers anticipated
12 the following year which would qualify districts for the subsidy
13 incentives provided for in this section, along with an estimate
14 of the appropriation needed to meet the requirements of this
15 section. Annually, the Governor shall include such information
16 in his budget message to the General Assembly.
17 (f) Any funds appropriated by the General Assembly for the
18 purposes of this section which, at the end of any year, remain
19 unexpended shall be lapsed in accordance with the provisions of
20 section 621 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known
21 as "The Administrative Code of 1929."
22 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 1987.
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