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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Ann
Collis |
State Rep. Richard T.
Grucela |
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Grucela bill giving school districts room to plan passes House
HARRISBURG, June 30 – The House of Representatives today unanimously passed legislation introduced by state Rep. Richard Grucela, D-Northampton, that would require school districts to be given advance notice of impending residential development. The bill was sent to the Senate for consideration.
“This is a very effective way to offer school districts a heads-up so they can plan accordingly for growth,” Grucela said. “Whether planning to expand their facilities or educational materials, this legislation would provide schools the information they need to make fiscally savvy decisions for the future.”
The bill, H.B. 71, would require municipalities to notify the superintendent of a school district within a month when a residential development or planned residential development has been finally approved by the municipality’s governing body.
The notice would have to include the location of the development, the number and types of units to be included in the development, and the proposed construction schedule of the development.
Grucela said the legislation would help areas like the Lehigh Valley, where many school districts are already overcrowded.
According to a 2007 Lehigh Valley Planning Commission report, the Lehigh Valley has experienced a period of hyper growth compared to the rest of Pennsylvania. Over the past five years, the population in the Lehigh Valley has increased by an average of 3,543 residents annually. Housing has increased by 13,693 units for an annual average increase of 2,739 units.
Between 2001 and 2005, the Lehigh Valley experienced new housing development due to the approval of 17,000 new residential units.
“Many residents are new to the area, finding the housing very affordable when compared to where they are relocating from – New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia,” Grucela said. “But this new development comes at a cost to many in the region who find it difficult to secure affordable housing, and to school districts that are currently unable to accommodate the increased student population.”
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