By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) – Prompted by large buyouts for school superintendents in Philadelphia and several other districts, the state Senate has passed and sent to the House legislation that would place new restrictions on contracts with top school administrators.

A key provision of the bill passed by the Senate would be to limit compensation under severance agreements for superintendents and assistant superintendents, but while the use of taxpayer funds would be restricted, some private funds were used in former Philadelphia superintendent Arlene Ackerman’s buyout, and Senate staff said it was unclear how the bill would address that issue.

Meanwhile, Erik Arneson, spokesman for the Senate majority leader, says the measure makes other changes to the law governing superintendent contracts.

Among them, “The bill requires superintendent contracts to include objective performance standards which are agreed to between the superintendent and the school, and then to have the results of the standards to be posted on the school district’s website every year.”

The measure now goes to the House for consideration.