Create Syracuse STEAM High School

Section 1. Legislative intent. The purpose of this act is to establish the Syracuse city school district regional STEAM high school. The STEAM high school shall provide a high school course of instruction for grades nine through twelve, dedicated to providing expanded learning opportunities to students residing in the Onondaga, Cortland and Madison county board of cooperative educational services region and central New York, in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics as well as the core academic areas required for the issuance of high school diplomas in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the board of regents. The legislature hereby finds and declares that the establishment of the STEAM high school is a necessary component to the development of the greater central New York region of New York state and a necessary link to fostering the development and advancement of the arts and emerging technologies. This school will advance the interests of the central New York region and New York state by engaging students in rigorous and enriching educational experiences focused on the arts and emerging technologies, project-based learning and collaboration and by providing that experience within the context of a business and learning 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

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with real world experience in the arts and advanced technical facilities. It is expressly found that the establishment and operation of such school pursuant to this act is a public purpose.

§ 2. Establishment of Syracuse city school district regional STEAM high school.

1. A regional science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics ("STEAM") high school may be established by the board of education of the Syracuse city school district pursuant to this section for students in grades nine through twelve.

2. Such school shall be governed by the board of education of the Syracuse city school district. The school shall be subject to all laws, rules and regulations which are applicable to a public high school unless otherwise provided for in this act. The school shall be subject to the oversight of the board of regents and the program shall be audited in a manner consistent with provisions of law and regulations that are applicable to other public schools.

3. The board of education of the Syracuse city school district shall have the responsibility for the operation, supervision and maintenance of the school and shall be responsible for the administration of the school, including curriculum, grading, discipline and staffing.

4. The board of education of the Syracuse city school district shall be authorized to enter into contracts as necessary or convenient to operate such school.

5. Students attending such school shall continue to be enrolled in their school district of residence. The Syracuse city school district shall be responsible for the issuance of a high school diploma to students who attended the school based on such students' successful completion of the school's educational program.

6. For purposes of all state aid calculations made pursuant to the education law, students attending such school shall continue to be treated and counted as students of their school district of residence.

7. The public school district of residence shall be obligated to provide transportation, without regard to any mileage limitations, provided however, for aid reimbursements pursuant to subdivision 7 of section 3602 of the education law, expenses associated with the transportation of students to and from the STEAM school up to a distance of thirty miles shall be included.

8. It shall be the duty of the student's district of residence to make payments as calculated in this act directly to the school district for each student enrolled in the school. No costs shall be apportioned to school districts that elect not to participate in such school.

9. The trustees or the board of education of a school district may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the board of education of the Syracuse city school district to participate in such school program for a period not to exceed five years upon such terms as such trustees or board of education and the board of education of the Syracuse city school district may mutually agree. Such memorandum of understanding shall set forth a methodology for the calculation of per pupil tuition costs that shall be subject to review and approval by the commissioner.

10. Any student eligible for enrollment in grades nine through twelve of a public school entering into a memorandum of understanding with the board of education of the Syracuse city school district to enroll students in the STEAM high school shall be eligible for admission to the STEAM high school. To the extent that the number of qualified applicants may exceed the number of available spaces, the school shall grant admission on a random selection basis, provided that an enrollment preference

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shall be provided to pupils returning to the school in the second or any subsequent year. The criteria for admission shall not be limited based on intellectual ability, measures of academic achievement or aptitude, athletic aptitude, disability, race, creed, gender, national origin, religion, ancestry, or location of residence. The school shall determine the tentative enrollment roster, notify the parents, or those in parental relations to those students, and the resident school district by April first of the school year preceding the school year for which the admission is granted.

11. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the Syracuse city school district is authorized to transfer ownership of the Syracuse city school district regional STEAM high school facility to the county of Onondaga and the county of Onondaga is authorized to assume such ownership and to enter into a lease for such facility with the Syracuse city school district. The county of Onondaga may contract for indebtedness to renovate such facility and any related financing shall be deemed a county purpose. The county of Onondaga shall transfer ownership of the regional STEAM high school facility to the city of Syracuse upon the expiration of the lease.

§ 3. Paragraph a of subdivision 6 of section 3602 of the education law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 8 to read as follows:

(8) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, for the purpose of computation of building aid for the renovation and equipping of a regional STEAM high school authorized for operation by the Syracuse city school district the building aid units assigned to this project shall reflect a building aid enrollment of one thousand students and multi-year cost allowances for the project shall be established and utilized two times in the first five-year period. Subsequent multi-year cost allowances shall be established no sooner than ten years after establishment of the first maximum cost allowance authorized pursuant to this subparagraph.

§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.