S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         3900
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   January 28, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. BRENNAN, ROBINSON, COLTON, CRESPO, COOK, WEPRIN,
         ABINANTI -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE,  GOTTFRIED,  MARKEY
         -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
       AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to reforming the board of
         education of the city school district of the city of New York
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section  2590-b  of  the
    2  education law, as amended by chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, is amended
    3  and a new paragraph (a-1) is added to read as follows:
    4    (a)  The board of education of the city school district of the city of
    5  New York is hereby continued. Such board of education shall  consist  of
    6  thirteen  appointed  members: one member to be appointed by each borough
    7  president of the city of New York; and eight members to be appointed  by
    8  the  mayor  of  the  city  of New York. The chancellor shall serve as an
    9  ex-officio non-voting member of the city board.  The  city  board  shall
   10  elect  its  own chairperson from among its voting members. [All thirteen
   11  appointed members shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authori-
   12  ty and] THE TERM OF OFFICE OF EACH MEMBER SHALL BE TWO YEARS, COMMENCING
   13  THE FIRST DAY OF SEPTEMBER, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN  AND  EVERY  TWO  YEARS
   14  THEREAFTER.  NO  MEMBER  shall  [not] be employed in any capacity by the
   15  city of New York, or a  subdivision  thereof,  or  the  city  board.  No
   16  appointed  member  of the city board shall also be a member, officer, or
   17  employee of any public corporation, authority, or commission  where  the
   18  mayor  of  the city of New York has a majority of the appointments. Each
   19  borough president's appointee shall be a resident  of  the  borough  for
   20  which  the borough president appointing him or her was elected and shall
   21  be the parent of a child attending  a  public  school  within  the  city
   22  school  district  of the city of New York.  Each mayoral appointee shall
   23  be a resident of the city and two shall be parents of a child  attending
   24  a  public  school within the city district.  All parent members shall be
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD01326-01-5
       A. 3900                             2
    1  eligible to continue to serve on the city board for two years  following
    2  the conclusion of their child's attendance at a public school within the
    3  city  district.  Any  vacancy  shall be filled FOR THE UNEXPIRED TERM by
    4  appointment  by  the appropriate appointing authority within ninety days
    5  of such vacancy. Notwithstanding any provision of local law, the members
    6  of the board shall not have staff, offices, or vehicles assigned to them
    7  or receive compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed  for
    8  the actual and necessary expenses incurred by them in the performance of
    9  their duties.  BOARD MEMBERS SHALL PERFORM EACH OF THEIR DUTIES AS BOARD
   10  MEMBERS,  INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THOSE IMPOSED BY THIS SECTION, IN
   11  GOOD FAITH AND WITH THAT DEGREE OF DILIGENCE, CARE AND  SKILL  WHICH  AN
   12  ORDINARILY  PRUDENT  PERSON  IN  LIKE  POSITION  WOULD USE UNDER SIMILAR
   13  CIRCUMSTANCES, AND MAY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE VIEWS AND POLICIES OF
   14  ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL OR BODY, OR ANY OTHER PERSON, AND ULTIMATELY  APPLY
   15  INDEPENDENT  JUDGMENT  IN  THE BEST INTEREST OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND
   16  ITS MISSION. AT THE TIME THAT EACH MEMBER TAKES AND  SUBSCRIBES  HIS  OR
   17  HER  OATH  OF OFFICE, OR WITHIN SIXTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF A
   18  CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN WHICH AMENDED THIS PARAGRAPH
   19  IF THE MEMBER HAS ALREADY TAKEN  AND  SUBSCRIBED  HIS  OR  HER  OATH  OF
   20  OFFICE,  SUCH  MEMBER SHALL EXECUTE AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT IN THE FORM DEVEL-
   21  OPED BY THE AUTHORITIES BUDGET  OFFICE  PURSUANT  TO  PARAGRAPH  (I)  OF
   22  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF SECTION SIX OF THE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES LAW, IN WHICH
   23  THE BOARD MEMBER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE OR  SHE  UNDERSTANDS  HIS  OR  HER
   24  ROLE,  AND  FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITIES AS SET FORTH IN THIS SUBDIVISION,
   25  AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE OR SHE UNDERSTANDS HIS OR HER DUTY  OF  LOYALTY
   26  AND  CARE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND COMMITMENT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S
   27  MISSION.
   28    (A-1) THE MEMBERS TO BE APPOINTED BY THE BOROUGH PRESIDENTS  SHALL  BE
   29  APPOINTED  NOT  LATER  THAN  JULY  FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN AND THEIR
   30  SUCCESSORS THEREAFTER. THE MEMBERS TO BE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR  OF  THE
   31  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK  SHALL BE APPOINTED NOT LATER THAN AUGUST FIRST, TWO
   32  THOUSAND FIFTEEN AND THEIR SUCCESSORS THEREAFTER.
   33    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately;  provided  however,  that
   34  the  amendments  to subdivision 1 of section 2590-b of the education law
   35  made by section one of this act shall  not  affect  the  expiration  and
   36  repeal of such subdivision and shall expire and be deemed repealed ther-
   37  ewith.