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S05946 Summary:

S05946 Actions:

S05946 Committee Votes:

S05946 Floor Votes:

S05946 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         5946--B
 
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                      May 16, 2019
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Education  --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to  said  committee  --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the Syra-
          cuse city school  district  regional  STEAM  high  school  to  provide
          instruction  to  students in the Onondaga, Cortland and Madison county
          BOCES and the central New York region in the areas of  science,  tech-
          nology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) areas
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The purpose of this act is to establish
     2  the Syracuse city school district regional STEAM high school. The  STEAM
     3  high school shall provide a high school course of instruction for grades
     4  nine  through  twelve, dedicated to providing expanded learning opportu-
     5  nities to students residing in the Onondaga, Cortland and Madison county
     6  board of cooperative educational services region and central  New  York,
     7  in  the  areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics
     8  as well as the core academic areas required for  the  issuance  of  high
     9  school diplomas in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated
    10  by  the board of regents. The legislature hereby finds and declares that
    11  the establishment of the STEAM high school is a necessary  component  to
    12  the development of the greater central New York region of New York state
    13  and a necessary link to fostering the development and advancement of the
    14  arts  and  emerging technologies. This school will advance the interests
    15  of the central New York region and New York state by  engaging  students
    16  in  rigorous  and  enriching educational experiences focused on the arts
    17  and emerging technologies, project-based learning and collaboration  and
    18  by providing that experience within the context of a business and learn-
    19  ing  community  for  the purpose of directly connecting student learning
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11786-05-9
        S. 5946--B                          2
 
     1  with real world experience in the arts and  advanced  technical  facili-
     2  ties. It is expressly found that the establishment and operation of such
     3  school pursuant to this act is a public purpose.
     4    §  2.  Establishment  of  Syracuse city school district regional STEAM
     5  high school.
     6    1. A regional science, technology, engineering, arts  and  mathematics
     7  ("STEAM")  high  school  may be established by the board of education of
     8  the Syracuse city school district pursuant to this section for  students
     9  in grades nine through twelve.
    10    2.  Such  school  shall  be  governed by the board of education of the
    11  Syracuse city school district. The school shall be subject to all  laws,
    12  rules  and  regulations  which  are  applicable  to a public high school
    13  unless otherwise provided for in this act. The school shall  be  subject
    14  to the oversight of the board of regents and the program shall be audit-
    15  ed  in  a  manner consistent with provisions of law and regulations that
    16  are applicable to other public schools.
    17    3. The board of education of the Syracuse city school  district  shall
    18  have  the  responsibility for the operation, supervision and maintenance
    19  of the school and shall be responsible for  the  administration  of  the
    20  school, including curriculum, grading, discipline and staffing.
    21    4.  The  board of education of the Syracuse city school district shall
    22  be authorized to enter into contracts  as  necessary  or  convenient  to
    23  operate such school.
    24    5.  Students  attending  such  school shall continue to be enrolled in
    25  their school district of residence. The Syracuse  city  school  district
    26  shall  be  responsible  for  the  issuance  of  a high school diploma to
    27  students who attended the school  based  on  such  students'  successful
    28  completion of the school's educational program.
    29    6.  For  purposes  of  all state aid calculations made pursuant to the
    30  education law, students attending  such  school  shall  continue  to  be
    31  treated and counted as students of their school district of residence.
    32    7.  The  public  school  district  of  residence shall be obligated to
    33  provide transportation,  without  regard  to  any  mileage  limitations,
    34  provided  however,  for  aid reimbursements pursuant to subdivision 7 of
    35  section 3602 of the education law, expenses associated with  the  trans-
    36  portation  of  students to and from the STEAM school up to a distance of
    37  thirty miles shall be included.
    38    8. It shall be the duty of the student's district of residence to make
    39  payments as calculated in this act directly to the school  district  for
    40  each  student  enrolled in the school.  No costs shall be apportioned to
    41  school districts that elect not to participate in such school.
    42    9. The trustees or the board of education of  a  school  district  may
    43  enter  into a memorandum of understanding with the board of education of
    44  the Syracuse city school district to participate in such school  program
    45  for  a  period not to exceed five years upon such terms as such trustees
    46  or board of education and the board of education of  the  Syracuse  city
    47  school  district  may mutually agree.   Such memorandum of understanding
    48  shall set forth a methodology for the calculation of per  pupil  tuition
    49  costs that shall be subject to review and approval by the commissioner.
    50    10.  Any student eligible for enrollment in grades nine through twelve
    51  of a public school entering into a memorandum of understanding with  the
    52  board  of  education  of  the  Syracuse  city  school district to enroll
    53  students in the STEAM high school shall be eligible for admission to the
    54  STEAM high school. To the extent that the number of qualified applicants
    55  may exceed the number of available spaces, the school shall grant admis-
    56  sion on a random selection basis, provided that an enrollment preference
        S. 5946--B                          3

     1  shall be provided to pupils returning to the school in the second or any
     2  subsequent year.  The criteria for admission shall not be limited  based
     3  on  intellectual  ability, measures of academic achievement or aptitude,
     4  athletic  aptitude,  disability,  race,  creed, gender, national origin,
     5  religion, ancestry, or location of residence.  The school  shall  deter-
     6  mine  the  tentative  enrollment roster, notify the parents, or those in
     7  parental relations to those students, and the resident  school  district
     8  by  April  first  of the school year preceding the school year for which
     9  the admission is granted.
    10    11. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to  the  contrary,  the
    11  Syracuse city school district is authorized to transfer ownership of the
    12  Syracuse city school district regional STEAM high school facility to the
    13  county  of  Onondaga  and the county of Onondaga is authorized to assume
    14  such ownership and to enter into a lease  for  such  facility  with  the
    15  Syracuse  city school district.  The county of Onondaga may contract for
    16  indebtedness to renovate such facility and any related  financing  shall
    17  be  deemed  a  county  purpose.    The county of Onondaga shall transfer
    18  ownership of the regional STEAM high school  facility  to  the  city  of
    19  Syracuse upon the expiration of the lease.
    20    § 3. Paragraph a of subdivision 6 of section 3602 of the education law
    21  is amended by adding a new subparagraph 8 to read as follows:
    22    (8)  Notwithstanding  any  other provision of law to the contrary, for
    23  the purpose of computation of building aid for the renovation and equip-
    24  ping of a regional STEAM high school authorized  for  operation  by  the
    25  Syracuse  city  school  district the building aid units assigned to this
    26  project shall reflect a building aid enrollment of one thousand students
    27  and multi-year cost allowances for the project shall be established  and
    28  utilized  two times in the first five-year period. Subsequent multi-year
    29  cost allowances shall be established no  sooner  than  ten  years  after
    30  establishment of the first maximum cost allowance authorized pursuant to
    31  this subparagraph.
    32    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.