Section 19-1902-A - Powers and duties of State Board of Education(a) The State Board of Education shall have the power, and its duty shall be: (1) To adopt such policies, standards, rules and regulations formulated by the Council of Higher Education, as may be necessary to provide for the establishment, operation and maintenance of community colleges, including minimum requirements for physical facilities and equipment, curriculum, faculty, standards and professional requirements, qualifications for admission and advancement of students, student enrollment, student population of the area to be served by the community college, requirements for satisfactory completion of a two-year program and the degrees or diplomas or certificates to be awarded therefor, means of financing and financial resources for the establishment and support of the community college, and all matters necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.(2) To approve or disapprove plans for the establishment or operation of a community college.(3) To approve or disapprove petitions of school districts or municipalities applying for participation in an established community college. No petition may be approved unless it is accompanied by the consent of the governing bodies of the majority of the members of the local sponsor of the established community college to the participation of the petitioning school district or municipality.(b) In determining such policies, standards, rules and regulations, the State Board of Education may consider relevant all minimum requirements established by statute or by regulation with respect to the State colleges and universities of the Commonwealth and may consider relevant such minimum requirements established by statute or by regulation with respect to secondary and special education programs in the school district or districts of the area to be served by the community college.(c) In approving or disapproving such plans, the State Board of Education shall consider the needs of areas adjacent to the areas to be served by the community college and of the State with respect to higher education and long range plans therefor established by the State Board of Education. Other school districts and municipalities may petition the State Board of Education to become a part of a local sponsor as hereafter in this act provided.(d) No plan for the establishment of a community college shall be approved unless the State Board of Education determines that the local sponsor has a population of a sufficient number to assure a sustained minimum enrollment, has sufficient wealth to financially support such college and is not adequately served by established institutions of higher learning. No plan for the establishment of a community college shall be approved unless it contains an estimate of operating cost for administration, instruction, operation and maintenance and such other accounts as the State Board of Education may, from time to time, determine. No plan for the establishment of a community college shall be approved unless it contains an estimate of any proposed capital improvements for the next following ten years.(e) To confer with and obtain the approval of the Governor's Office as to the number of community colleges which can be approved for participation during the ensuing fiscal period.(f) Wherever in this act the approval of the State Board of Education is required in any matter, the State Board of Education may require the Department of Education to make and report its findings and recommendations on such matter to the Council of Higher Education for the formulation of policies, standards, rules and regulations for consideration by the State Board of Education.1949, March 10, P.L. 30, No. 14, art. XIX-A, § 1902-A, added 1985 , July 1, P.L. 103, No. 31, § 1, imd. effective.