Establishes the Syracuse 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, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).
STATE OF NEW YORK
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7914--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 28, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. MAGNARELLI, STIRPE, HUNTER -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Education -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee
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
20 with real world experience in the arts and advanced technical facili-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11786-04-9
A. 7914--A 2
1 ties. It is expressly found that the establishment and operation of such
2 school pursuant to this act is a public purpose.
3 § 2. Establishment of Syracuse city school district regional STEAM
4 high school.
5 1. A regional science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics
6 ("STEAM") high school may be established by the board of education of
7 the Syracuse city school district pursuant to this section for students
8 in grades nine through twelve.
9 2. Such school shall be governed by the board of education of the
10 Syracuse city school district. The school shall be subject to all laws,
11 rules and regulations which are applicable to a public high school
12 unless otherwise provided for in this act. The school shall be subject
13 to the oversight of the board of regents and the program shall be audit-
14 ed in a manner consistent with provisions of law and regulations that
15 are applicable to other public schools.
16 3. The board of education of the Syracuse city school district shall
17 have the responsibility for the operation, supervision and maintenance
18 of the school and shall be responsible for the administration of the
19 school, including curriculum, grading, discipline and staffing.
20 4. The board of education of the Syracuse city school district shall
21 be authorized to enter into contracts as necessary or convenient to
22 operate such school.
23 5. Students attending such school shall continue to be enrolled in
24 their school district of residence. The Syracuse city school district
25 shall be responsible for the issuance of a high school diploma to
26 students who attended the school based on such students' successful
27 completion of the school's educational program.
28 6. For purposes of all state aid calculations made pursuant to the
29 education law, students attending such school shall continue to be
30 treated and counted as students of their school district of residence.
31 7. The public school district of residence shall be obligated to
32 provide transportation, without regard to any mileage limitations,
33 provided however, for aid reimbursements pursuant to subdivision 7 of
34 section 3602 of the education law, expenses associated with the trans-
35 portation of students to and from the STEAM school up to a distance of
36 thirty miles shall be included.
37 8. It shall be the duty of the student's district of residence to make
38 payments as calculated in this act directly to the school district for
39 each student enrolled in the school. No costs shall be apportioned to
40 school districts that elect not to participate in such school.
41 9. The trustees or the board of education of a school district may
42 enter into a memorandum of understanding with the board of education of
43 the Syracuse city school district to participate in such school program
44 for a period not to exceed five years upon such terms as such trustees
45 or board of education and the board of education of the Syracuse city
46 school district may mutually agree. Such memorandum of understanding
47 shall set forth a methodology for the calculation of per pupil tuition
48 costs that shall be subject to review and approval by the commissioner.
49 10. Any student eligible for enrollment in grades nine through twelve
50 of a public school entering into a memorandum of understanding with the
51 board of education of the Syracuse city school district to enroll
52 students in the STEAM high school shall be eligible for admission to the
53 STEAM high school. To the extent that the number of qualified applicants
54 may exceed the number of available spaces, the school shall grant admis-
55 sion on a random selection basis, provided that an enrollment preference
56 shall be provided to pupils returning to the school in the second or any
A. 7914--A 3
1 subsequent year. The criteria for admission shall not be limited based
2 on intellectual ability, measures of academic achievement or aptitude,
3 athletic aptitude, disability, race, creed, gender, national origin,
4 religion, ancestry, or location of residence. The school shall deter-
5 mine the tentative enrollment roster, notify the parents, or those in
6 parental relations to those students, and the resident school district
7 by April first of the school year preceding the school year for which
8 the admission is granted.
9 11. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the
10 Syracuse city school district is authorized to transfer ownership of the
11 Syracuse city school district regional STEAM high school facility to the
12 county of Onondaga and the county of Onondaga is authorized to assume
13 such ownership and to enter into a lease for such facility with the
14 Syracuse city school district. The county of Onondaga may contract for
15 indebtedness to renovate such facility and any related financing shall
16 be deemed a county purpose. The county of Onondaga shall transfer
17 ownership of the regional STEAM high school facility to the city of
18 Syracuse upon the expiration of the lease.
19 § 3. Paragraph a of subdivision 6 of section 3602 of the education law
20 is amended by adding a new subparagraph 8 to read as follows:
21 (8) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, for
22 the purpose of computation of building aid for the renovation and equip-
23 ping of a regional STEAM high school authorized for operation by the
24 Syracuse city school district the building aid units assigned to this
25 project shall reflect a building aid enrollment of one thousand students
26 and multi-year cost allowances for the project shall be established and
27 utilized two times in the first five-year period. Subsequent multi-year
28 cost allowances shall be established no sooner than ten years after
29 establishment of the first maximum cost allowance authorized pursuant to
30 this subparagraph.
31 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
