Delaware General Assembly


CHAPTER 353

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14, DELAWARE CODE, BY PROVIDING FOR THE STANDARDIZATION OF SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PLANS AS A BASIS FOR STATE AID AND BY PROVIDING FOR ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PLANS IN DISTRICT REFERENDA.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:

Section 1. Title 14, Delaware Code, is hereby amended by enacting and adding a new Chapter thereto as follows:

CHAPTER 20. STANDARD SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

§ 2001. Definitions

As used in this Chapter—

"District" means either a School District or a Special School District, or both;

"School Board" means either a Board of School Trustees of a School District or a Board of Education of a Special School District, or both.

§ 2002. Establishment of Standard Formula

The State Board of Education shall establish a standard school construction formula which shall be uniform throughout the State. The standard formula so established shall take into consideration the different educational requirements at the various grade levels and the number of pupils for whom the facilities are planned.

§ 2003. Determination of Costs for State Aid

The State Board of Education shall use the standard school construction formula for determining the cost of school construction, either new or additions, for the various Districts. Such costs shall be used as the base upon which State Aid for school construction to the various Districts shall be allocated.

§ 2004. Construction of Facilities Exceeding the Standard Formula

The provisions of this Chapter shall not be construed so as to prevent the State Board of Education from approving school construction requests submitted by Districts when such requests vary from the standard formula, provided, however, that when the costs of the facilities so approved exceed the costs determined by the standard formula, the voters in the District so affected shall have the power to authorize and limit by referendum the expenditure of funds to the amount based on the standard formula, such referendum to be held in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 21 of this Title. The following words shall be written or printed on the ballots used in such election:

A. Vote for One

______ For the bond issue in the amount of $_____ as determined from the standard formula by the State Board of Education

______ Against the bond issue.

B. Vote for One

______ For the bond issue in the amount of $_____ as recommended by the School Board.

______ Against the bond issue.

The amounts of the proposed bond issues shall be inserted in the appropriate spaces on the ballot.

In the event that each of the proposals for the bond issue receives a majority of the votes cast, the proposal receiving the higher number of votes shall be deemed to be the proposal authorized. Otherwise, the conduct of the election shall be the same as that set forth in Chapter 21 of this Title.

Section 2. Any Act inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency.

Approved April 24, 1962.