PRINTER'S NO. 1502
No. 248 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY LESCOVITZ, BUXTON, COSTA, CRAHALLA, DAILEY, DALEY, FAIRCHILD, FRANKEL, GEIST, GERGELY, GODSHALL, HORSEY, KELLER, LAUGHLIN, LEWIS, MANN, MELIO, PETRARCA, REICHLEY, STURLA, E. Z. TAYLOR, WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD, JAMES, LaGROTTA, LEVDANSKY, MAITLAND, McNAUGHTON, S. MILLER, PHILLIPS, SOLOBAY, SURRA, TIGUE AND WOJNAROSKI, APRIL 29, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, APRIL 29, 2003
A RESOLUTION 1 Directing the Standing Subcommittee on Basic Education of the 2 Committee on Education to conduct a study of a countywide 3 system and a regional system of school districts for this 4 Commonwealth. 5 WHEREAS, This Commonwealth currently has 501 school 6 districts, including several school districts with fewer than 7 500 students; and 8 WHEREAS, This large number of school districts may cause 9 fiscal inefficiencies due to the overlaps in school district 10 administrative positions, purchasing, transportation and other 11 areas of high cost to school districts; and 12 WHEREAS, Many other states in the nation have school 13 districts which are organized on a countywide or regional basis; 14 and 15 WHEREAS, There could be significant financial and 16 administrative benefits to reducing the number of school 17 districts in this Commonwealth; and
1 WHEREAS, The taxpayers and students of this Commonwealth may 2 benefit from potential financial savings; and 3 WHEREAS, There may also be significant transitional costs 4 related to a consolidation of school districts into countywide 5 or regional districts; and 6 WHEREAS, Changes in current State law or changes in the 7 Constitution of Pennsylvania may be required to effect a 8 consolidation of school districts in this Commonwealth; and 9 WHEREAS, There is a need to study the benefits and detriments 10 of changing to a countywide or regional system of school 11 districts that exists in other states; therefore be it 12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the 13 Standing Subcommittee on Basic Education of the Committee on 14 Education to conduct a study to determine the efficacy and 15 potential costs and benefits of consolidating school districts 16 in this Commonwealth into countywide or regional school 17 districts; and be it further 18 RESOLVED, That the Standing Subcommittee on Basic Education 19 of the Committee on Education determine any current legal 20 impediments to school district consolidation and ways in which 21 State law must be changed to effect a consolidation of school 22 districts in this Commonwealth. C4L82MRD/20030H0248R1502 - 2 -