In a time of economic uncertainty, many school districts are looking to reduce costs while maintaining and improving student education. Under current law, school districts have options including consolidating, sharing services, or establishing joint schools with another district. Joint schools are partnerships that allow participating districts to establish and maintain an elementary or high school together, which can help districts reduce costs, improve learning opportunities for students, and increase a sense of community for these districts to learn from each other.
 
Current law already permits districts to form joint schools with the approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). However, while there is state assistance available to help school districts determine whether consolidation is an appropriate option, this assistance does not currently extend to the creation of joint schools. To address this, my legislation would require that grants under PDE’s Administrative, Instructional Programming Partnership and Feasibility Studies Grant Program could also be utilized by school districts to explore the feasibility of forming joint schools.
 
As public servants, parents, and members of our communities, we need to help teachers, administrators, and students succeed. Please join me in ensuring school districts have the proper financial support to determine whether joint schools are appropriate to reduce costs and provide the quality education that Pennsylvania students deserve.