Education Act (amended)

BILL NO. 145

(as introduced)

1st Session, 60th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
56 Elizabeth II, 2007

Government Bill

Education Act
(amended)

The Honourable Karen Casey
Minister of Education

First Reading: March 21, 2007

(Explanatory Note)

Second Reading: March 26, 2007

Third Reading: April 12, 2007 (WITH COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS) (LINK TO BILL AS PASSED)

Explanatory Note

This Bill implements a new school review process.

An Act to Amend Chapter 1
of the Acts of 1995-96,
the Education Act

Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 Section 89 of Chapter 1 of the Acts of 1995-96, the Education Act, is repealed and the following Sections substituted:

89 (1) A school board may identify a public school under its jurisdiction for review.

(2) Identification of a public school for review must be in accordance with the criteria set out in the regulations.

(3) Upon identifying a public school for review, the school board shall prepare and make available to the public a report in accordance with the regulations.

(4) Before making any decision respecting a public school that is the subject of a report pursuant to subsection (3), the school board shall, in accordance with the regulations, establish a study committee to review and respond to the report.

(5) Following its receipt of a response from the study committee, the school board shall

(a) make public the study committee response; and

(b) hold a public meeting,

in accordance with the regulations.

89A Following its compliance with the procedure outlined in Section 89, the school board may

(a) maintain the status quo;

(b) consolidate the school, or a part of the school, with another public school;

(d) make any other decision authorized by the regulations.

2 Clauses 145(m) to (o) of Chapter 1 are repealed and the following clauses substituted:

(m) respecting the review of public schools including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing,

(i) prescribing the criteria for the identification of a public school for review,

(ii) respecting reports by school boards upon identifying a public school for review,

(iii) respecting study committees established to review and respond to the reports,

(iv) respecting the making public of the responses of study committees,

(v) respecting public meetings to be held by school boards with respect to school reviews,

(vi) respecting the time frame for reviews;

(n) prescribing the decisions that may be made by a school board following a review of public schools;

(o) defining "permanently close" for the purpose of Section 89A;

3 (1) This Act applies to

(a) all reviews of public schools commenced after this Act comes into force; and

(b) all public schools now under consideration for permanent closure by a school board.

(2) For greater certainty, this Act does not apply to public schools for which consideration for permanent closure has been completed and a decision to close has been made before this Act comes into force.

4 This Act comes into force on such day as the Governor in Council orders and declares by proclamation.

This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2007 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created April 18, 2007. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.

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