1920 Center Area and Monaca School District to consolidate

STATE BOARD
OF EDUCATION

Center Area and Monaca School Districts to Consolidate

[38 Pa.B. 5832]
[Saturday, October 18, 2008]

   On September 18, 2008, the State Board of Education adopted the following resolution that approved the application submitted by the Center Area and Monaca School Districts to consolidate. The resolution further directs the Secretary of Education to issue a certificate establishing the new consolidated school district.

JIM BUCKHEIT,   
Executive Director

State Board of Education
Resolution

   Whereas, Section 224 of the Public School Code of 1949 (Code) provides that ''[a]ny two or more school districts or administrative units may combine to create a larger school district,'' and that ''[t]he board of school directors of each school district desiring to form such a combination shall, by a majority vote, adopt a resolution outlining the areas to be combined and file an application for approval with the [Secretary of Education]'' and

   Whereas, the Board of School Directors of the Center Area School District and the Board of School Directors of the Monaca School District on June 12, 2008, each approved resolutions to combine the school districts and filed an application with the Secretary of Education seeking approval of the combination by the State Board of Education; and

   Whereas, on June 23, 2008, the Secretary of Education placed on the agenda of the September, 2008 meeting of the State Board of Education (Board) the application for consideration by the Board; and

   Whereas, the Board caused to be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin (38 Pa.B. 3959 (July 19, 2008)), the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (August 1, 2008) and the Beaver County Times (August 1, 2008), public notice of the opportunity for any school district or interested party, aggrieved by the petition, to file its objection or provide comments; and

   Whereas, the Board committee designated by the chair of the Board to review the application conducted a public hearing on August 18, 2008, in Center Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and on August 19, 2008, met with school district officials in the Center Area School District and the Monaca School District and visited schools in both districts; and

   Whereas, based upon its review of the application, meetings with school officials, public comments and testimony, and visit to the school district, the committee recommended that the Board approve the application to combine the school district.

   Now, Therefore, the Board hereby finds the combination of the Center Area School District and the Monaca School District to be in the best interests of the educational system of the Commonwealth and, therefore, approves the application to combine the school districts pursuant to section 224 of the Public School Code; and

   Further, the Board directs the Secretary of Education to issue a certificate creating, effective July 1, 2009, a new school district of the third class consisting of the Township of Center, the Township of Potter, and the Borough of Monaca, all situate in Beaver County, and to be known as the Center-Monaca School District or such other name upon which the boards of school directors of the two school districts might mutually agree and communicate to the Secretary of Education for inclusion in the certificate.

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 08-1920. Filed for public inspection October 17, 2008, 9:00 a.m.]