PRINTER'S NO. 658
No. 607 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY WAUGH, BOSCOLA, FERLO, RAFFERTY, PICCOLA, O'PAKE,
WONDERLING, RHOADES, D. WHITE, EARLL, PILEGGI, PIPPY,
BRUBAKER AND ARMSTRONG, MARCH 21, 2007
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MARCH 21, 2007
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 a prototypical school
6 facility design clearinghouse.
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 732.1. Prototypical School Facility Design
13 Clearinghouse.--(a) The Department of Education shall establish
14 a central clearinghouse of prototypical school facility designs
15 for access by any school entity that may want to use a prototype
16 design in the construction of school facilities. The Department
17 of Education shall compile necessary publications and a computer
18 database to make the information on prototype designs available
19 for review to school entities and the public at large.
1 (b) Design professionals registered in this Commonwealth may
2 submit plans for inclusion in the computer database that have
3 been submitted and approved by the Department of Education in
4 accordance with section 731. The original design professional of
5 record shall retain ownership of a prototype design.
6 Prototypical school facility designs submitted shall include
7 information that the Department of Education determines is
8 necessary and appropriate to facilitate this section.
9 (c) The Department of Education shall establish a grading
10 system to review and evaluate plans submitted pursuant to this
11 section using standards which promote the following:
12 (1) The use of design principles to achieve the highest
13 standards of health, safety, accessibility, environmental
14 protection and energy efficiency.
15 (2) The academic and technological needs of students.
16 (3) The use of cost-effective design and construction
17 techniques, including the use of straight-line, right-angle
18 design principles and avoiding the use of curved and
19 nonsymmetrical design.
20 (4) The use of design principles that allow for expansion of
21 school facilities to accommodate future growth in student
22 population.
23 (5) The use of durable materials in construction.
24 (6) The preservation of open space.
25 (d) The Department of Education shall determine which school
26 design plans submitted promote the highest standards as
27 enumerated under subsection (c) and shall classify those plans
28 as achieving high honors in school design. A school entity that
29 utilizes, as its final plan, a high honors in school design plan
30 shall receive an additional State reimbursement equal to ten per
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1 centum (10%) of the State reimbursement factor provided for in
2 section 2574.
3 (e) The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee shall
4 conduct a study of the department's program to determine the
5 savings incurred by school entities that have participated in
6 the program. The study shall be conducted at the conclusion of
7 the fifth year of operation and shall include program
8 participation for the five-year period from inspection until its
9 fifth anniversary. The study shall be presented within six
10 months of its commencement to chairpersons of the Education
11 Committee of the Senate and the Education Committee of the House
12 of Representatives.
13 (f) The Department of Education shall adopt rules necessary
14 to implement this section.
15 (g) As used in this section, the term "school entity" means
16 a school district, intermediate unit, area vocational-technical
17 school or charter school operating within this Commonwealth
18 under provisions of this act.
19 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 180 days.
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