BILL NUMBER: S6568

SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to direct the commissioner of education to establish a regional
secondary school advisory council to make recommendations on the estab-
lishment of regional secondary high schools; and providing for the
repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE OF THE BILL:

The purpose of the bill is to establish a temporary advisory council to
develop recommendations for legislative proposals for the establishment
of regional secondary schools. The advisory council will report their
recommendations to the Legislature by October 1, 2022.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill establishes a temporary regional secondary schools
advisory council to develop recommendations for legislative proposals
for the establishment of regional secondary schools. The bill requires
              

the council to be comprised of 11 members, two of which shall be
appointed by the Governor, two upon recommendation of the Temporary
President of the Senate, two upon recommendation of the Speaker of the
Assembly, one member of the Board of Regents, and the remaining members
shall be either certified teachers, principals, superintendents from
rural, urban and suburban school districts and/or district superinten-
dents of boards of cooperative educational services appointed by the
Commissioner. Such members shall have demonstrated expertise in one or
more of the following areas: the use of regional educational services,
teaching or administration in secondary schools or regional transporta-
tion. The advisory council is directed to provide recommendations on:
(1) legislative proposals to establish regional high schools in certain
areas of the state; (2) best practices and model school district poli-
cies from throughout the state to be considered, (3) methods to use
regional secondary programming to maximize student access to a wide
range of curricular opportunities to best prepare students for post-sec-
ondary opportunities or the workforce; (4) the delivery of regional
educational services; (5) partnerships with institutions of higher
education and other relevant stakeholders for workforce opportunities in
regional high schools; (6) how to update and improve the school district
reorganization process; and (7) any other recommendations the council
feels necessary to successfully implement regional high schools in
certain areas of the state.

Section 3 requires the advisory committee to submit a final report of
its recommendations to the Governor, the Temporary President of the
Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly and the Charts of the education
committees in the Senate and Assembly by October 1, 2022.

Section 4 is the effective date.

 
STATEMENT IN SUPPOSE OF THE BILL:

In light of fiscal constraints, many school districts are at risk of not
being able to meet their fiscal obligations and/or are facing educa-
tional insolvency due to cuts to critical personnel and programs. Much

of the fiscal and educational pressure on districts is at the secondary
level.

Current state law has limited options for school districts to create and
sustain high quality collaborative secondary schools allowing only the
creation of central high school districts, regional high schools in
Suffolk County and Tech Valley High School in the Capital Region.

School districts across the state need a mechanism to build collabora-
tive secondary school partnerships that will provide greater educational
services to better ensure that students graduate high school ready to
succeed in college and careers-such as high quality science, technology,
engineering and mathematics programs- through more cost-effective and
efficient operational delivery.

This bill is necessary to establish a temporary advisory council
comprised of educational experts in the field, including members of the
Legislature, the Governor's office, educational experts and stakeholders
to examine previously proposed legislation and identify barriers and
areas of concern and recommendations for new legislative proposals based
upon a review of regionalization models in other states and best prac-
tices. The advisory council will then identify potential models that
would work in New York and make recommendations to the Board of Regents,
the Department, the Legislature and the Governor's office by October 1,
2022 in order to seek enactment of the proposed legislation during the
2023 session.

 
BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS OF THE BILL:

The bill requires that advisory council members receive their actual and
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, provided
that the advisory council shall be authorized to conduct meetings in a
manner that minimizes travel and costs as determined by the Commission-
er.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

In 2017, this bill was introduced by the Assembly as A.7934, was
referred to the Education Committee and no further action was taken.  It
was also introduced by the Senate as S.6485 and was referred to the
Education Committee and no further action was taken. In 2018, this bill
was introduced by the Assembly as A.7934-A and the Assembly passed the
bill. It was also introduced by the Senate as 5.6485 and no further
action was taken. In 2019 and 2020, this bill was introduced by the
Assembly as A.6594 and the Assembly passed the bill. The Senate did not
introduce a same-as of the bill.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed on October 1, 2022.