| 17 | 17 | | |
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| 18 | 18 | | Referred to Committee on Education |
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| 19 | 19 | | |
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| 20 | 20 | | Introduced by: |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | (ED) |
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| 23 | 23 | | |
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| 24 | 24 | | AN ACT CONCERNING VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL SCHOOLS. |
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| 25 | 25 | | |
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| 26 | 26 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: |
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| 27 | 27 | | |
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| 28 | 28 | | Section 1. Section 10-95 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2011): |
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| 29 | 29 | | |
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| 30 | 30 | | (a) The State Board of Education may establish and maintain a state-wide system of regional vocational-technical schools offering full-time, part-time and evening programs in vocational, technical and technological education and training. The board may make regulations controlling the admission of students to any such school. The Commissioner of Education, in accordance with policies established by the board, may appoint and remove members of the staffs of such schools and make rules for the management of and expend the funds provided for the support of such schools. The board may enter into cooperative arrangements with local and regional boards of education, private occupational schools, institutions of higher education, job training agencies and employers in order to provide general education, vocational, technical or technological education or work experience. |
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| 31 | 31 | | |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) If the New England Association of Schools and Colleges places a regional vocational-technical school on probation or otherwise notifies the superintendent of the vocational-technical school system that a regional vocational-technical school is at risk of losing its accreditation, the Commissioner of Education shall notify the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education of such placement or problems relating to accreditation. |
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| 33 | 33 | | |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) The State Board of Education shall establish specific achievement goals for students at the vocational-technical schools at each grade level. The board shall measure the performance of each vocational-technical school and shall identify a set of quantifiable measures to be used. The measures shall include factors such as performance on the state-wide tenth grade mastery examination under section 10-14n, trade-related assessment tests, dropout rates and graduation rates. |
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| 35 | 35 | | |
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| 36 | 36 | | (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 67, the State Board of Education shall be responsible for all personnel decisions relating to the hiring of certified teachers in the regional vocational-technical school system. |
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| 37 | 37 | | |
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| 38 | 38 | | Sec. 2. Section 10-99g of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2011): |
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| 39 | 39 | | |
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| 40 | 40 | | (a) (1) Each regional vocational-technical school shall prepare a proposed operating budget for the next succeeding school year beginning July first and submit such proposed operating budget to the superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system. The superintendent shall collect, review and use the proposed operating budgets for each regional vocational-technical school to prepare a proposed operating budget for the regional vocational-technical school system. |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) The superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system shall submit a proposed operating budget for the regional vocational-technical school system to the regional vocational-technical school subcommittee of the State Board of Education. The subcommittee shall review such proposed operating budget and approve or disapprove such proposed operating budget. If the subcommittee disapproves such proposed operating budget, the subcommittee shall adopt an interim budget and such interim budget shall take effect at the commencement of the fiscal year and shall remain in effect until the superintendent submits and the subcommittee approves a modified operating budget. The superintendent shall submit a copy of the approved operating budget to the Office of Policy and Management. |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | [(a)] (b) The superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system shall biannually submit the operating budget and expenses for each individual regional vocational-technical school, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the director of the legislative Office of Fiscal Analysis and to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education. |
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| 45 | 45 | | |
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| 46 | 46 | | [(b)] (c) The superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system shall make available and update on the regional vocational-technical school system web site and the web site of each regional vocational-technical school the operating budget for the current school year of each individual regional vocational-technical school. |
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| 47 | 47 | | |
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| 48 | 48 | | Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 10-95e of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2011): |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | (a) The State Board of Education shall establish a Vocational Education Extension Fund. Within said Vocational Education Extension Fund, there is established an account to be known as the "vocational education extension account". The Vocational Education Extension Fund may include other accounts separate and apart from the vocational education extension account. The vocational education extension account shall be used for the operation of preparatory and supplemental programs, including apprenticeship programs in accordance with subsection (b) of this section, and for the purchase of such materials and equipment required for use in the operation of said programs. All proceeds derived from the operation of said programs and revenue collected for rental or use of school facilities shall be credited to and become a part of the resources of said vocational education extension account, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section. All direct expenses incurred in the conduct of said programs shall be charged, and any payments of interest and principal of bonds or any sums transferable to any fund for the payment of interest and principal of bonds and any cost of equipment for such operations may be charged, against said vocational education extension account on order of the State Comptroller. Any balance of receipts above expenditures shall remain in said vocational education extension account to be used for said program and for the acquisition, as provided by section 4b-21, alteration and repairs of real property for educational facilities for such programs, except such sums as may be required to be transferred from time to time to any fund for the redemption of bonds and payment of interest on bonds, provided capital projects costing over one hundred thousand dollars shall require the approval of the General Assembly or, when the General Assembly is not in session, of the Finance Advisory Committee. The State Board of Education shall fix the tuition fees to be charged students for preparatory and supplemental programs including apprenticeship programs. [, provided the] The tuition fee fixed by the board to be charged for any single apprenticeship program or course shall not exceed [one] two hundred seventy-five dollars. Not less than half of the tuition fee charged for any apprenticeship program shall be paid by the employer. |
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| 51 | 51 | | |
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| 52 | 52 | | Sec. 4. Section 84 of public act 09-3 of the June special session is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): |
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| 53 | 53 | | |
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| 54 | 54 | | Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 10-266m and 10-97 of the general statutes, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, [and] to June 30, [2011] 2012, inclusive, the Commissioner of Education may provide grants, within available appropriations, in an amount not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars per pupil, to local and regional boards of education that transport students who previously attended, or who have been accepted for enrollment at, J.M. Wright Technical School in Stamford to Henry Abbott Technical High School in Danbury, for the costs associated with such transportation. Such grants shall not exceed the actual costs of transportation for each pupil. Applications shall be submitted to the Commissioner of Education at such time and on such forms as the commissioner prescribes. |
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| 55 | 55 | | |
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| 56 | 56 | | Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 10-95o of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): |
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| 57 | 57 | | |
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| 58 | 58 | | (a) (1) The State Board of Education shall not close or suspend operations of any regional vocational-technical school for more than six months unless, prior to such closure or suspension of operations, the board (A) holds a public hearing at the school that may be closed or whose operations may be suspended, (B) develops and makes available a comprehensive plan for such school in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, and (C) affirmatively votes to close or suspend operations at a meeting duly called. Such public hearing shall be held after normal school hours and [at least] not less than thirty days prior to any vote of the board pursuant to subparagraph (C) of this subdivision. |
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| 59 | 59 | | |
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| 60 | 60 | | (2) The board shall not extend the closure or suspension of operations of a regional vocational-technical school beyond the period set forth in the comprehensive plan described in subsection (b) of this section unless the board (A) holds another public hearing at a location in the town in which the school is located, after normal school hours and [at least] not less than thirty days prior to any vote of the board pursuant to subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, (B) develops and makes available a new comprehensive plan for such school in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, and (C) affirmatively votes to extend such closure or suspension of school operations at a meeting duly called. |
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| 61 | 61 | | |
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| 62 | 62 | | |
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| 63 | 63 | | |
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| 64 | 64 | | |
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| 65 | 65 | | This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: |
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| 66 | 66 | | Section 1 July 1, 2011 10-95 |
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| 67 | 67 | | Sec. 2 July 1, 2011 10-99g |
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| 68 | 68 | | Sec. 3 July 1, 2011 10-95e(a) |
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| 69 | 69 | | Sec. 4 from passage PA 09-3 of the June Sp. Sess., Sec. 84 |
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| 70 | 70 | | Sec. 5 from passage 10-95o(a) |
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| 71 | 71 | | |
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| 72 | 72 | | This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: |
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| 73 | 73 | | |
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| 74 | 74 | | Section 1 |
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| 75 | 75 | | |
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| 76 | 76 | | July 1, 2011 |
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| 77 | 77 | | |
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| 78 | 78 | | 10-95 |
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| 79 | 79 | | |
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| 80 | 80 | | Sec. 2 |
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| 81 | 81 | | |
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| 82 | 82 | | July 1, 2011 |
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| 83 | 83 | | |
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| 84 | 84 | | 10-99g |
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| 85 | 85 | | |
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| 86 | 86 | | Sec. 3 |
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| 87 | 87 | | |
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| 88 | 88 | | July 1, 2011 |
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| 89 | 89 | | |
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| 90 | 90 | | 10-95e(a) |
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| 91 | 91 | | |
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| 92 | 92 | | Sec. 4 |
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| 93 | 93 | | |
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| 94 | 94 | | from passage |
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| 95 | 95 | | |
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| 96 | 96 | | PA 09-3 of the June Sp. Sess., Sec. 84 |
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| 97 | 97 | | |
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| 98 | 98 | | Sec. 5 |
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| 99 | 99 | | |
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| 100 | 100 | | from passage |
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| 101 | 101 | | |
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| 102 | 102 | | 10-95o(a) |
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| 103 | 103 | | |
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| 104 | 104 | | |
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| 105 | 105 | | |
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| 106 | 106 | | ED Joint Favorable |
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