Pennsylvania Act 2001-73 — PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE OF 1949 - AMEND SCHOOL DISTRICT AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH PROGRAMS AWARDING HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS TO MILITARY VETERANS

Act text

Session of 2001

No. 2001-73

HB 186

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An act relating to the public school system, including certain provisions applicable as well to private and parochial schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto," authorizing school districts to establish programs for awarding high school diplomas to certain military veterans.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 1611 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended to read:

Section 1611. Academic Degrees.-- (a) The power to confer academic degrees, honorary or otherwise, heretofore granted to and possessed by any board of public education, board of school directors, or controllers of any school district, on the eighteenth day of May, one thousand nine hundred eleven, is hereby vested in the board of school directors of such school district as now constituted. Any public high school, in any school district, existing on the eighteenth day of May, one thousand nine hundred eleven, with a course of study of not less than four years, and upon whose students of the full prescribed course of study such academic or other degrees have heretofore been conferred, shall be continued by the board of school directors of the district in which it shall be located, under such name or title, with such regulations, and courses of study of such length and character, as the board may deem necessary.

(b) A board of school directors may establish a program to be known as "Operation Recognition" which provides for granting a high school diploma to any honorably discharged veteran who served in the United States military in World War II between the sixteenth day of September, one thousand nine hundred forty, and the thirty-first day of December, one thousand nine hundred forty-six, who attended high school between one thousand nine hundred thirty-seven and one thousand nine hundred forty-six and who would have been a member of a graduation class during the years one thousand nine hundred forty-one through one thousand nine hundred fifty but did not graduate from high school due to entry into military service. A board of school directors may award a diploma posthumously to an eligible veteran. An application for a diploma under this subsection must be made in the manner prescribed by the board of school directors.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 25th day of June, A. D. 2001.

THOMAS J. RIDGE