Bill Text: NY A07787 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Creates the Maisto district sound basic education cost panel for the purpose of determining the cost of a sound basic education in each of the eight Maisto districts.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-30 - print number 7787b [A07787 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A07787-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7787--B
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                      May 15, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced by M. of A. BRINDISI -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee  on  Education  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended, ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee --  recommitted
          to the Committee on Education in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec.
          2  -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
          and recommitted to said committee
        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the computation of the
          cost of a sound basic education in the Maisto Districts
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1. Legislative intent: It is the responsibility of the legis-
     2  lature under article XI of the constitution of the state of New York  to
     3  establish and maintain a system that will provide all children an oppor-
     4  tunity  to receive a meaningful high school education. As shown at trial
     5  in State Supreme Court of Maisto, et al. v State of  New  York    it  is
     6  clear  that  under current law resources sufficient to offer that educa-
     7  tion  in  eight  small  city  school  districts,  known  as  the  Maisto
     8  Districts, are not being provided. Therefore, it is the intention of the
     9  legislature to amend certain provisions of the education law to create a
    10  Maisto  District  Sound Basic Education Cost Panel to determine the cost
    11  of a sound basic education in each of the districts sufficient to  allow
    12  such  districts to provide all the children in the districts an opportu-
    13  nity to receive a meaningful high school education and to maintain heal-
    14  thy, vibrant educational communities.
    15    § 2. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Maisto  District
    16  sound basic education cost panel act".
    17    §  3.  Section  3641  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
    18  subdivision 17 to read as follows:
    19    17. Maisto District sound basic education cost panel. There is  hereby
    20  created  the  Maisto  District  sound basic education cost panel for the
    21  purpose of determining the cost of a sound basic education  in  each  of
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11406-04-8
        A. 7787--B                          2
     1  the  eight  Maisto  Districts, including Jamestown city school district,
     2  Kingston city  school  district,  Mount  Vernon  city  school  district,
     3  Newburgh  city school district, Niagara Falls city school district, Port
     4  Jervis city school district, Poughkeepsie city school district and Utica
     5  city  school  district.  The  panel  shall consist of six members, to be
     6  appointed by each of the following: two by the senate  majority  leader,
     7  one  by  the senate minority leader, two by the assembly speaker and one
     8  by the assembly minority leader. The panel shall meet as often as deemed
     9  necessary but not fewer than four times, elect a chairperson to schedule
    10  and conduct such meetings and have the power to appoint such  assistants
    11  either  from  the legislature, the department or from the private sector
    12  and expert advisors as necessary to fulfill all duties.   Duties of  the
    13  panel include the following:
    14    a. Selecting an independent consultant to assist in conducting studies
    15  and  drafting  the report on the cost of a sound basic education in each
    16  of the eight Maisto Districts.
    17    b. Insuring that the studies and reports  use  both  the  professional
    18  judgment method and the foundation aid formula method of determining the
    19  cost of a sound basic education.
    20    c.  With  respect  to the foundation aid method, basing the foundation
    21  amount on the  average  spending  of  successful  districts  which  have
    22  achieved  at  least eighty percent proficiency on two fourth grade state
    23  assessments and five state regents examinations, using researched  based
    24  pupil  weightings  determined  by  using New York state student data and
    25  using a researched based regional cost index.
    26    d. Selecting an independent  consultant  within  ninety  days  of  the
    27  effective  date  of this subdivision and issuing a preliminary report to
    28  the senate majority leader, senate minority leader, assembly speaker and
    29  assembly minority leader on or before November fifteenth,  two  thousand
    30  eighteen  and  a final report on or before December fifteenth, two thou-
    31  sand eighteen.
    32    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.