Bill Text: NY S01555 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Imposes a moratorium on the initiation of school closings in cities with a population of one million or more.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S01555 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-S01555-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1555 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 10, 2017 ___________ Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to imposing a moratorium on the initiation of school closings in cities with a population of one million or more The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (f) of subdivision 2-a of section 2 2590-h of the education law, as added by chapter 345 of the laws of 3 2009, are amended to read as follows: 4 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, prepare an 5 educational impact statement regarding any proposed school closing or 6 significant change in school utilization, including the phase-out, grade 7 reconfiguration, re-siting, or co-location of schools, for any public 8 school located within the city district; provided however that the chan- 9 cellor shall not be authorized to prepare or file an educational impact 10 statement for any proposed school closing, school phase-out, grade 11 reconfiguration, re-siting or co-location of schools that would take 12 effect during the two thousand eighteen--two thousand nineteen school 13 year or the two thousand nineteen--two thousand twenty school year. 14 (f) In the event that the chancellor determines that a school closing 15 or significant change in school utilization is immediately necessary for 16 the preservation of student health, safety or general welfare, the chan- 17 cellor may temporarily close a public school or adopt a significant 18 change in the school's utilization on an emergency basis. Such emergency 19 school closing or significant change in school utilization shall only 20 remain in effect for six months, during such time the chancellor shall 21 comply with the requirements of this subdivision in order for such 22 school closure or significant change in school utilization to extend 23 beyond the six month period; provided that any emergency school closing 24 occurring during the two thousand eighteen--two thousand nineteen school EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00593-01-7S. 1555 2 1 year or the two thousand nineteen--two thousand twenty school year shall 2 only remain in effect during such time as absolutely necessary in order 3 to preserve student health, safety or general welfare. 4 § 2. Paragraph (h) of subdivision 1 of section 2590-g of the education 5 law, as added by chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as 6 follows: 7 (h) approve proposals for all school closures or significant changes 8 in school utilization including the phase-out, grade reconfiguration, 9 re-siting, or co-location of schools, following any hearing pursuant to 10 subdivision two-a of section twenty-five hundred ninety-h of this arti- 11 cle; provided that the city board shall not approve any proposal for a 12 school closing, school phase-out, or grade reconfiguration that would 13 take effect during the two thousand eighteen--two thousand nineteen 14 school year or the two thousand nineteen--two thousand twenty school 15 year. 16 § 3. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new 17 subdivision 56 to read as follows: 18 56. The commissioner shall establish a school closure evaluation and 19 review committee, which shall review the impacts relating to the number 20 of low-performing schools that have been closed in the city school 21 district located in a city of one million or more inhabitants including, 22 but not limited to, the impact to student educational experience and 23 achievement, and shall also consider whether alternative policies would 24 have a more positive impact on student achievement. The committee shall 25 include, but not be limited to, academicians who study educational 26 outcomes, psychometricians and education policy experts. The commission- 27 er shall report the committee's findings to the chairs of the senate and 28 assembly education committees and the chair of the senate finance 29 committee and the chair of the assembly ways and means committee no 30 later than September thirtieth, two thousand nineteen. 31 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amend- 32 ments to sections 2590-h and 2590-g of the education law made by 33 sections one and two of this act shall not affect the expiration of such 34 sections and shall expire and be deemed repealed therewith.
