DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION2011-2012 Designation of Districts to Receive Duquesne's High School Students [41 Pa.B. 4123]
[Saturday, July 30, 2011]The Duquesne City School District (Duquesne) eliminated its high school program in 2007. Section 14 of the act of July 20, 2007 (Act 45) governed the reassignment of Duquesne's high school students from the time Duquesne's high school program was eliminated until the time Act 45 was struck down by the courts in 2010. In part, Act 45 authorized the Secretary of Education to designate two or more school districts to accept Duquesne's high school students. Thus, under Act 45, then-Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak designated two school districts to accept Duquesne's high school students on a tuition basis. The two designated school districts were the East Allegheny School District (East Allegheny) and the West Mifflin Area School District (West Mifflin).
Shortly after Act 45 was struck down, the act of November 23, 2010 (P. L. 1350, No. 123) (Act 123) was enacted. The enactment of Act 123 resulted in significant additions to section 1607 of the Public School Code of 1949 (code) (24 P. S. § 16-1607), which governs the reassignment of high school students when certain school districts do not operate a high school. Duquesne is currently the only school district that meets the criteria of amended section 1607 of the code. Similar to Act 45, amended section 1607 of the code authorizes the Secretary of Education to designate two or more school districts to accept Duquesne's high school students. To continue and extend the success that resulted from the placement of Duquesne students in East Allegheny and West Mifflin following the enactment of Act 45, East Allegheny and West Mifflin have been designated to continue to receive Duquesne's high school students under amended section 1607 of the code.
2011-2012 Reassignment of Duquesne's High School Students
As required under section 1607(b) of the code, the Department of Education (Department) provides the following information regarding the assignment of Duquesne's high school students for the 2011-2012 school year:
• Students entering grades 10, 11 or 12 during the 2011-2012 school year shall be assigned to the same district to which they were assigned during the 2010-2011 school year.
• In January and February of 2011, students entering grade 9 had the opportunity to tour both the West Mifflin and East Allegheny High Schools and to select the specific high school they were interested in attending. Specific information was provided under a notice published at 40 Pa.B. 5823 (October 9, 2010). This notice also informed students entering grade 9 that all students who completed and returned a school selection card during the selection process had an equal chance of getting his first choice school. If the number of students selecting a school exceeded the determined enrollment number, however, a lottery would determine which high school the students would attend.
• Siblings entering grade 9 should attend the same high school that their older bother or sister has chosen unless a parent or guardian specifies otherwise. For this purpose, to be considered for sibling status, applicants must provide legal proof of guardianship and residence and meet one of the following criteria: (1) brothers or sisters of the same parents or legal guardians; or (2) children that reside in the same household and have the same legal guardian.
• Private, religious or charter school students first need to register as Duquesne students at the Duquesne Education Center to be assigned to either East Allegheny or West Mifflin High School.
• Students transferring into Duquesne after the selection process has concluded will be given a choice between West Mifflin and East Allegheny. If a student's first choice school already has students assigned up to its determined enrollment level, then he will be assigned to the other school. If a student wants to be placed on a waiting list for his first choice school, then his name will be added to the bottom of the waiting list below the students who took part in the selection process.
2011-2012 Tuition Rates
The per pupil tuition rates that the designated districts shall receive, for the 2011-2012 school year, are $ 9,422 for East Allegheny and $9,582 for West Mifflin Area High School.
RONALD J. TOMALIS,
Secretary[Pa.B. Doc. No. 11-1280. Filed for public inspection July 29, 2011, 9:00 a.m.]
