The proposal, dated Nov. 4, is labeled a "Confidential Draft" for "fiscal distress legislation." No bill has been introduced in the legislature.
In an e-mail, state Education Department spokesman Tim Eller said the draft "was intended to be a starting point for discussions." He added: "The Governor, along with the PA Department of Education, believes all tools from the toolbox should be on the table for possible consideration."
With the recent widespread public discussion of Chester Upland's plight, he said, "we expect the heightened awareness of the problem will help expedite these discussions."
Senate Education Committee Chairman Jeffrey Piccola (R., Dauphin) said Thursday that he hoped to introduce proposed legislation in the next few weeks, though it would not necessarily be modeled after Corbett's draft.
The Chester Upland district, dogged by state funding cuts and payments to charter schools that nearly half its students attend, was on the verge of bankruptcy until a federal judge this month ordered the state to advance it $3.2 million. The district, which was under state control from 1994 to 2010 and is now led by an elected school board, still needs about $20 million to finish the school year.
The Corbett proposal drew angry responses from several Democrats, including Andy Dinniman (D., Chester). "This proposal is designed to destroy public education in the most distressed districts," he said. "It would create a Kmart-style second-class education system in the poorest school districts in Pennsylvania. It would perpetuate a separate but unequal situation."
The suggested legislation would immediately apply to only Chester Upland and Duquesne, but Dinniman said it could become "a template" for other districts that are also running out of money.
