Bill Text: PA SB839 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Further providing for education empowerment districts.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-05-05 - Referred to EDUCATION [SB839 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SB839-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 985
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 839 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY HUGHES, COSTA, TARTAGLIONE, KITCHEN, MUSTO, WASHINGTON, LOGAN, FONTANA, O'PAKE, FARNESE AND STACK, MAY 5, 2009
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MAY 5, 2009
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," further providing for education
empowerment districts.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1705-B(h) of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
amended July 9, 2008 (P.L.846, No.61), is amended to read:
Section 1705-B. Education Empowerment Districts.--* * *
(h) (1) A school district under a declaration of distress
pursuant to section 691(a) and certified as an education
empowerment district shall be operated by a special board of
control established under section 692. A board of control
established under this section shall be abolished upon the
appointment of a special board of control under section 692.
(2) For a school district under a declaration of distress
pursuant to section 691(a) and certified as an education
empowerment district, the special board of control established
under section 692 shall have the powers and duties of a special
board of control under section 692 and the powers and duties
contained in section 1706-B.
(3) For a school district with a history of low test
performance that is certified as distressed for a minimum period
of two (2) years under sections 691 and 692, the department
shall waive the inclusion of the school district on the
education empowerment list under section 1703-B(a) and
immediately certify the school district as an education
empowerment district.
(4) The department may utilize up to $4,500,000 of
undistributed funds not expended, encumbered or committed from
appropriations for grants and subsidies made to the department
to assist school districts certified as an education empowerment
district under paragraph (3). There is hereby established a
restricted account from which payments under this paragraph
shall be paid. Funds shall be transferred by the Secretary of
the Budget to the restricted account to the extent necessary to
make payments under this paragraph. Funds in the restricted
account are hereby appropriated to carry out the purposes of
this paragraph. The subsidy payment from this account shall be
utilized to supplement the operational budget of the eligible
school districts. This paragraph shall apply to fiscal years
2000-2001, 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2004-2005,
2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008 [and], 2008-2009 and 2009-2010
and shall expire June 30, [2009] 2010.
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009, or
immediately, whichever is later.
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