HARRISBURG – Working to get a handle on rapidly growing school districts across Monroe County and the entire state, legislation championed by Rep. Mario Scavello (R-Monroe) and co-sponsored by Rep. Rosemary M. Brown (R-Pike/Monroe) today passed through the House requiring municipalities to give school officials advance notice on proposed housing developments in their jurisdictions.

“When school officials are not aware of proposed developments in their school districts, it’s a problem because it could increase the student population, ultimately impacting the schools districts’ finances and size of staffing and buildings,” said Scavello. “My hope is that this legislation will ensure that municipalities reach out to their school districts for their input early in the planning process.”

Under House Bill 823, each month, municipalities would be required to notify, in writing, the superintendent of a school district in which a development plan received final approval by the municipality in the preceding month.  The notice would include the location of the development, the number and types of units to be built and the expected construction schedule.

“Communication is essential for proper planning, and if school districts are unaware that their enrollments could spike because of a new housing development, school officials are not able to properly prepare for new students,” Brown said. “I believe this legislation is a good, positive step to improve communication and cooperation.”

“Because municipalities and their school districts haven’t been communicating with each other, we’ve experienced growth in many of our school districts across the Commonwealth,” said Scavello. “Now is the time to get the conversation started.”

This legislation, which has garnered the support of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and the Pennsylvania Builders Association, now heads to the governor’s desk for approval.

Scavello and Brown have led the charge in seeking additional funding for fast-growing school districts in their legislative districts, as well as the entire state. Both lawmakers agree this commonsense legislation is the first step in keeping fast-growing school districts’ student enrollment in check.