J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                      373

CHAPTER 139
(House Bill 64)

AN ACT to repeal Section 23 of Article 77 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Public Education," subtitle "State
Board of Education," and to enact new Section 23 in lieu thereof,
to stand in the place of the section repealed, establishing a school
construction planning service to advise local Boards of Education
in construction plans, , AND RELATING GENERALLY TO
SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.

Whereas, The provision of an adequate education is a responsi-
bility shared by the State and by local governments to include the
provision of school housing in sufficient quantity and of accept-
able quality to serve the educational program of the community
being served; and

Whereas, The Counties and the City of Baltimore have been
building annually in excess of 100 new buildings or additions to
existing buildings expending in excess of sixty million dollars
($60,000,000) to construct and equip these educational facilities;
now, therefore,

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 23 of Article 77 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1957 Edition), title "Public Education", subtitle "State Board of
Education", be and is hereby repealed and new Section 23 is hereby
enacted in lieu thereof to stand in the place of the Section so
repealed, , AND TO READ AS FOLLOWS:

23.

(a)   The State Board of Education shall establish and maintain
a AN EXPANDED School Construction Planning Service for the
purpose of reviewing the preliminary and final plans and specifications
for any public school building project and the educational program
which it is designed to house, and for the purpose of advising boards
of education and local school building committees as to the suitability
of such plans on the basis of educational effectiveness, construction
and reasonable economy of cost, and for such purposes shall employ
the necessary staff.

(b)  The State Board of Education, through the School Construc-
tion Planning Service OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION, shall arrange for the collection, publication, and dis-
tribution of information on procedures for school building com-
mittees, building methods and materials suitable for school construc-
tion and on relevant educational methods, requirements and materials,
and shall furnish such information to the counties and TO Baltimore
City ON PROJECTS PARTIALLY FINANCED BY THE STATE
FUND REQUESTED THROUGH THE PUBLIC WORKS PRO-
GRAM. The Board, through the School Construction Planning
Service STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, shall from
time to time inform local officials and agencies involved in school
construction of its services available to them.

(c)  The State Board of Education, upon the recommendation of
the State Superintendent of Schools and with the advice of the