By authority vested in Townships by Act No. 108 of 1979, the Township of Ridley establishes an Educational Service Agency.
The Educational Service Agency shall be composed of three individuals,
each of whom shall be a resident of the Township, at least 18 years of age,
who shall be appointed by the Board of Commissioners for three-year, overlapping
terms, coinciding with the calendar year, provided that, in the case of the
three individuals appointed at the time of establishment of the Educational
Service Agency, the term of one shall expire on the first day of January of
the first year after the establishment, the term of one shall expire on the
first day of January of the second year after the establishment and the term
of the third shall expire on the first day of January of the third year following
the establishment.
No elected Township or school district official shall be eligible to
appointment to or membership on the Educational Service Agency. A vacancy
shall occur in the Educational Service Agency in the case of any member who
ceases to be a resident of the Township or who otherwise becomes disqualified
for appointment or membership.
Vacancies in the Educational Service Agency occurring for any reason
shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Commissioners of a successor
to serve for the remainder of the term of the individual being replaced.
Members of the Educational Service Agency shall receive such compensation
as shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Commissioners.
Each member of the Educational Service Agency may, at the discretion
of the Board of Commissioners, be required to furnish a bond in the amount
and with the surety specified by the Township for the faithful performance
of his duties as a member of the Educational Service Agency.
The function of the Educational Service Agency shall be to employ and
supervise school crossing guards, also referred to as special school police,
to direct traffic at or near schools. In order to enable the Educational Service
Agency to perform that function, the Township delegates to the Educational
Service Agency the authority to appoint and supervise crossing guards or special
school police as set out in the First Class Township Code.
The Educational Service Agency shall have the following authority, and
it shall be its duty to:
A. Prepare annually and, on or before the first day of November
of each year, submit to the Board of Commissioners for approval a budget showing
its contemplated income and its proposed expenditures for the succeeding year.
B. Annually adopt the budget, as submitted under Subsection
A of this section, as modified by the Township.
C. From time to time employ and/or discharge and fix the
compensation of crossing guards or special school police to serve in the Township.
D. Exercise supervision and control over the crossing guards
or special school police by:
(1) Establishing, administering and enforcing rules and regulations
for the work and conduct of the crossing guards or special school police.
(2) Establishing work schedules and designating the locations
where and the time when the various individuals are to be on duty.
(3) Establishing position classifications if deemed necessary
and designating the individuals to serve in each classification.
(4) Exercising any and all other perogatives normally associated
with personnel management.
E. From moneys budgeted and available, make all payments.
for the services of crossing guards or special school police and make all
other expenditures as prescribed by law or a superior body or agency or as
otherwise deemed necessary or appropriate.
F. Receive, in addition to payments by the Township, any
payments by the school district or any other gift, grant, devise or bequest.
G. Establish a system of accounts for all moneys under its
control and establish one or more separate bank accounts into which all income
shall be deposited and from which all expenditures shall be made.
The Township shall transfer and pay over to the Educational, Service Agency the moneys that the Township is required to pay as compensation to special school police under the First Class Township Code or other agreement executed with the school district, as provided in 43 P.S. § 802.1, as well as other moneys as necessary to cover expenditures budgeted for the Educational Service Agency as provided in §
14-8 of this chapter.
The Educational Service Agency hereby recognized and formally established
shall continue until changed or abolished by action of the Township or until
the suspension of Act No. 108 of 1979 as adopted by the Legislature of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in accord with the terms thereof.