2006 Legislative Session: |
Policy
Brief of Specific Implications of HB 39 on School Districts
Mars Research & Retrieval Services
June 15, 2006
The previous conference report measure approved
May 1st and 2nd designated as a property tax relief plan for
Pennsylvania passed by the majority of the House last night
after an emotional debate on the floor.
This is the original measure approved by the Senate in early
Spring and is known as House Bill 39. This bill now goes to
the Governor’s desk and “will be” signed
this morning. Expect this passage to be clearly marketed as
a victory for the Governor for delivering upon his campaign
promises to provide property tax relief to Pennsylvanians
despite its minimal effects.
What’s
In Store for Schools and Education? |
This bill will require school boards to
get voter approval for future property tax increases that
exceed inflation, except under certain limited circumstances,
also known as back end referendum and backend referendum exceptions.
Districts will be required to cap increases in taxes for 2006-2007
to the index which is based on a formula that gives the most
to districts with the least wealth and the heaviest property
tax burdens and will vary from district to district. For example,
both Mars Area and Seneca Valley school districts will be
required to cap their millage increases to 3.9% according
to the index formula. The index percentage is applicable to
the district's millage rate and not its revenue.
The index can be accessed on the PA Dept. of Education website
which can be found and accessed on the links page of this
website.
Hypothetically, if a district has a property
tax rate of 100 mils, under the current index of 3.9%, that
district would only be permitted to increase its millage rate
to 103.9 mils. School districts that cannot balance their
budgets with the restricted tax increase will be allowed to
seek one or more back end referendum exceptions and if they
still are unable to balance their budget, they are permitted
to petition the county courts for permission to enable them
additional taxing authority. The county courts would have
until July 15th to respond to school district petitions.
Furthermore, school districts would also be required to implement
installment payments for taxes and a statewide tax force is
established to examine school district costs and offer recommendations
on how to reduce or minimize these costs. The requirement
for school districts to adopt installment payment schedules
will be moved back to June 30, 2007.
Participation by school districts is mandatory statewide.
In addition, most school districts would be required to hold
referendums next year to find out whether voters want to offset
additional property tax cuts of at least 25% by increasing
local income taxes. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Scranton
will be exempt from the referendum requirements because they
already have relatively high wage taxes. This bill repeals
Act 72, a similar law that would have divided the slots revenue
among the homeowners without regard to age. Most of Pennsylvania's
school boards exercised their right under the law to refuse
to participate based on the individual local control of that
respective district opposing Act 72 for placing limitations
on their taxation power amongst other valid and quantitative
factors as outlined in the governor's initial plan.
Unlike Act 72, this new bill, would earmark $250 million for
special rebates for senior citizens starting next year in
2007. The rebates would be in addition to the property tax
reductions for all homeowners that will be available through
local school districts using the slots revenue beginning in
2008. The Pennsylvania lottery will be tapped into initially
finance a $200 million expansion of the state property tax
and rent rebate program for senior citizens allowing an additional
400,000 senior citizens to benefit. The provisions of the
legislation addresses Pennsylvanians 65 or older, widows or
widowers 50 years or older, and disabled individuals 18 years
old or older beginning in 2007. The income eligibility limit
for the rebates would increase from $15,000 to $35,000 and
the maximum would be increased from $500 to $650 dollars....the
costs would eventually be padded by the gaming revenue brought
in, limiting the slots money as to how much will be available
for other homeowners. The first rebate payments for senior
citizens will be based on the 2006 tax payments.
It is crucial for Pennsylvanians to understand, just as with
Act 72, this new legislation has nothing to do with providing
funding or additional funding for education to school districts
across Pennsylvania.....this legislation is all about providing
property tax relief to Pennsylvania's taxpayers. Without getting
into the politics of the process and keeping focused on the
facts, it will be significant for Pennsylvanians to keep this
in mind in the coming year, with all the anticipated changes
and implications upon school districts across the Commonwealth
and then determine for themselves if meaningful property tax
relief was achieved and at what cost?
Kimberly D. Geyer, Mars Research & Retrieval Services,
June 15, 2006
Legislative
Policy Brief on “School Calendars and State Mandated
School Start Date” Legislation: |
The following policy brief is a genuine effort to outline
the provisions as contained and outlined in the legislative
house bill 1968 as sponsored by Representative Robert Godshall
and to provide the implications of such legislation upon school
districts and its education process across the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
Upcoming Mars School
Calendar for 2006-2007 School Year: |
It should be noted that Mars
students will be beginning school on the 23rd of August as
in all previous years....nothing has changed...the ending
school year will not be in Mid-May, but, will actually be
June 1st. In addition, there are several snow days built into
the calendar at the end of May. In the event the snow days
are not utilized, the students will be done on May 24th. Education
was the ultimate priority in making this district wide decision.
As one of nine board members, I strongly believe that we may
and hope to see student achievement improve district wide
as a result of eliminating the spring break, by unnecessary
interruption of the learning process and testing windows as
mandated by the State Department of Education. While the WPIAL
requires those students choosing to participate in its league
to attend practice, as well as, game schedules forcing some
families to plan earlier vacation arrangements, the WPIAL
had no part of the discussion, or driving force leading to
this decision.....neither did mention of a craft show...it
was purely education based and focused on the academic schedules
of all our students here at MASD, as it naturally should be.
Other facts leading to
this district wide decision: |
1. Staff Input: It has been
communicated to the board and administration by various staff
throughout the district that there are two implications to
consider both of which are academic based and carry much weight.
First, staff indicated they are able to get more production
out of and from our students by starting school earlier. Staff
indicated through their own professional expertise and data
that most students perform better at an earlier start date.
Staff want to get in as much ample academic & instruction
time prior to the initial testing and assessment window.
2. Administrative Input: It has been communicated by the Administration
that parents and families who wish to excuse a student from
school whether it be for travel and/or other purposes….will
leave and do leave, at any point in time throughout the school
year and/or regardless if there is a spring break or not and
in some cases, in addition to.
3. Local Control and Local Autonomy of a School District:
The Mars Area School District has a policy in place known
as #033, under the heading of school board operations which
is in accordance with the mandate of the Public School Code
Act of 1949 in Pennsylvania which states that all school districts
will do the following…. “The Board of School Directors
shall annually adopt a school calendar. Distribution of the
calendar shall be such that community, staff, and students
are so apprised of the dates and the time that school will
be in session”.
In the past and at the current
date of this writing, all 501 school districts have had the
ability to utilize discretion as an individual school district
to address the issue of formulating the school calendar on
an annual basis based on their local control and the issues
implicating their distinct and respective district.
4. All school buildings are
currently air conditioned to accommodate students and staff
and enhance a comfortable and efficient learning environment
during warmer temperature days.
Construction
Purposes as an Example of A School Calendar being Adjusted: |
Numerous school districts throughout
the Commonwealth are in the process or will be implementing
construction projects throughout their respective districts
which can ultimately lead to a district making accommodations
for students and staff based on their safety and wellbeing
causing the school calendar to be adjusted in an effort to
provide a more conducive learning environment free from noise,
dust, pollution, and potential health hazards. Such a course
of action can and has caused start and finish dates to be
postponed and/or accelerated as pertaining to the dynamics
of that specific school district.
Testing Schedules as
an Example of a School Calendar being Adjusted: |
Numerous school districts throughout
the Commonwealth are in the process or will be in the process
of adjusting their school calendars to meet the demands and
mandates of both state and federal testing windows, especially
those districts identified for failing to meet Adequate Yearly
Progress annually. Currently, national policymakers are debating
extending the school year as it is and increasing its length
beyond the current state mandated 180 days of instruction
for various reasons. In addition, the current state and federal
testing window is being expanded throughout Pennsylvania with
the new science standards being added to the already tested
math, reading, and writing standards being tested through
the PSSA state assessment. In subsequent years, a new set
of academic standards will be added on a continuum to measure
core content areas as mandated by the state and federal governments.
Science will be the new added content for the 2006-07 school
year in which all school districts are mandated to meet AYP
requirements based on the results of mandated state and federal
testing.
Students Will Be Inside
School Classrooms on Sunny and Warm Temperature Days: |
Depending upon the demographics in which one lives throughout
the country, as well as, the fact as to whether or not one
is privy to air condition, the above statement may be necessarily
true to some extent. However, there is no research or data
supporting increased nor decreased student achievement as
a result of students being inside a school classroom on a
sunny and warm/hot temperature day, unless conditions are
not applicable to air conditioned facilities in environments
prone to high temperatures year round. Most of our educational
establishments at the collegiate level throughout our country
continue to educate and hold class throughout the summer months
despite whether or not there are air condition accommodations
for students and staff. This argument is a moot point when
furthermore, data indicates that most schools located in the
southern region of the country begin school no later than
August 1st and can facilitate such a process based on the
air conditioned facilities to provide a comfortable learning
environment.
What’s at stake
here in Pennsylvania? What are the implications of having
a “School Start Date Mandated by the State”?
· Loss of local control
& flexibility in addressing issues to accommodate one’s
own unique autonomy and diversity of needs district wide.
· Transfer of power to a “One Size Fits ALL”
Cookie Cutter Approach.
· Unknown academic implications which may adversely
affect students and school districts.
· Loss of flexibility in a district’s management
of academic time and preparation prior to state and federal
testing windows.
· Less Flexibility in School Calendar Contrary to Current
Situation with State Mandating Start Time and Finish Time
resulting in more restrictive calendar for students, school
districts, parents, and families.
House Bill 1968 Mandating
School Start Date Legislation By Rep. Robert Godshall: |
That being said, parents should know the legislature's motive
for modifying the law to mandate the school start date to
after Labor Day has nothing to do with accommodating the education
of Pennsylvania's students and/or their academic schedules,
but, is rather the result of successful lobbying efforts of
the special interest groups representing amusement parks and
tourism and recreation industries across the commonwealth
pushing the schedule to accommodate their own employment needs
pertaining to students returning to school and colleges.
We have Pennsylvanian college
students who reside and attend school and colleges in the
Philadelphia area but work in the summer months in New Jersey’s
recreational and tourist industry in various venues. Pennsylvania
parents and policymakers need to implore themselves and ask
why would our state mandate policy for the entire state in
a more restrictive manner in lieu of local control’s
flexibility to accommodate the state of New Jersey’s
Tourism schedule? Why would our state allow policy to be created
based on various surveys, such as the one outsourced by Mansfield
University as indicated by Representative Godshall asking
residents of Pennsylvania as to whether or not the school
start date should be changed to after Labor Day? Why would
Pennsylvania allow themselves to create policy based on surveys
and pollsters, even in the event when the legislator has a
polling site on his own district’s legislative website?
I have personally communicated
with the legislators on this bill, which is currently stalled
by its prime sponsor, but, referred out from the House Tourism
Committee to whom is chaired by Representative Robert Godshall
himself and am advocating and encouraging its return for referral
to the Education Committee, as would be appropriate, for review
to allow the education establishment and educators to have
the opportunity to comment and testify on its implications
from an education aspect on our students, as well as, schools.
I will personally continue to monitor the legislation's progress
in the coming year.
Pennsylvania residents who are
unhappy with their individual school calendars need to inform
themselves of accurate information and the facts to the equation.
Residents need to exercise prudence in educating themselves
of all the implications of this matter ahead of time in allowing
them to make the best decisions based on the potential implications
as outlined in this policy paper. As parents, each one of
us has the right to oversee the direction of our own child’s
education and we must do what is in the best interest of our
own children, inclusive of ways of accommodating their needs.
School districts across the nation struggle with the daily
balance of making accommodations when appropriate for individual
needs, as well as, collective needs within any given district
for students. There is no one size fits all with 501 unique
and diverse school districts, yet, policy such as House Bill
1968 contradicts that fact. Districts appreciate having the
ability to exercise local control in making case by case individual
accommodations when applicable to students providing greater
flexibility to the education program in lieu of restrictions
being placed on all students and all schools through unfunded
state and federal mandates.
To Those Residents and
Taxpayers of Mars Area School District: |
Please be assured that the school
board has taken all of your concerns and comments into their
consideration and will continue to do so in the event of future
deliberations and decision-making....while we may be unsuccessful
in making everyone happy with the new calendar for the 2006-2007
school year....know that we take our charge seriously and
that the calendar was not driven by factors involving the
WPIAL, family get away vacations, or the general assembly's
indecisiveness, but, by our constant commitment to keep all
the students our foremost priority in our decision-making.
The calendar process takes place annually, there is no precedent
set, it is deliberated based on year to year factors taking
place within the school district. The next time frame for
deliberation of the new calendar will begin shortly after
the 2007 new year at the public board meetings as scheduled
ahead of time. As always, the public’s input is greatly
welcomed and all perspectives are valued as we work together
to provide a quality education for all students within Mars
Area School District.
Kimberly D. Geyer
Mars Research & Retrieval Services
www.marsrrservices.com
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