There may be no duty of government more important than the education of children. Just in the last four years, there’s been over a $1 billion increase in education funding. Every year, we see bills amending the Pennsylvania Public School Code to comport with advances in technology and changes to the social fabric of our state. This year is no different.

Below are some of the highlights in education from 2018. Also, expect more changes in 2019 as there will be a new Senate Education Committee Chairman since former Chairman John Eichelberger (R-Blair) did not run for reelection.

Legislation

Omnibus Public School Code Bill

Act 39/H.B. 1448 (Cutler, R-Lancaster)

  • Allows a school district to hold an executive session to discuss school safety measures.
  • Provides certain restrictions on third-party contracts with schools for non-instructional services.
  • Prohibits the Department of Education from accepting or approving new school building construction or reconstruction project applications during the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
  • Permits school facilities whose testing shows lead levels in excess of the maximum containment level to be tested for lead levels in the drinking water.
  • Allows school districts to adopt textbooks at any time throughout the school year.
  • Gives more senior employees the opportunity to fill positions for which they are certified over less senior employees.
  • Establishes a vocational instructional certificate.
  • Includes charter schools within the definition of “educational entity” for provisions dealing with student attendance.
  • Creates an attendance policy for nonpublic schools.
  • Prohibits new students from enrolling in the drug and alcohol recovery high school pilot program until 2022, unless the program is permanently established.
  • Allows a school entity to conduct two school security drills per school year in place of the required two fire drills.
  • Provides for reimbursement payments to community colleges.
  • Increases the maximum annual household income figure for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) from $75,000 to $85,000. Each scholarship organization shall provide for an application and review process to verify household income.
  • Increases tax credits available under the EITC program from $85 million to $110 million.
  • Provides state aid for libraries, intermediate units and school districts declared to be in financial recovery status or financial watch status for the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
  • Extends the Ready-to-Learn Block Grant program for next year.

Basic Education

  • Act 35/H.B. 564 (Boback, R-Luzerne) requires each school, beginning with the 2020-21 school year, to administer a locally developed civics test to students in grades 7-12.
  • Act 82/H.B. 1386 (Phillips-Hill, R-York) revises the grade spans and age levels for special education certificates and early childhood education certificates.
  • Act 37/S.B. 776 (Tomlinson, R-Bucks) extends the Dyslexia and Early Literacy Intervention Pilot Program for an additional two years and requires at least eight school districts to participate.
  • Act 44/S.B. 1142 (Browne, R-Lehigh) established the School Safety and Security Committee within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). The Committee established best practices to be used when conducting school safety and security assessments. They also administer the newly created School Safety and Security Grant Program. In addition, the bill established the Safe2Say Program, which ensures anonymous reporting of potentially harmful, dangerous, violent or criminal activity at a school entity.
  • Act 158/S.B. 1095 (McGarrigle, R-Delaware) delays the use of the Keystone Exams as a graduation requirement an addition year, until the 2021-22 school year. It also established several alternatives for graduation requirements.

Higher Education

  • Act 5/H.B. 1653 (Quigley, R-Montgomery) allows the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to provide scholarships through the Student Grant Program to students regardless of whether the program of study is 100% online or blended with classroom credits, under certain conditions.
  • Act 110/H.B. 1822 (Schlossberg, D-Lehigh) allows institutions of higher education to develop and implement a plan to advise students and staff on mental health and suicide prevention.
  • Act 121/H.B. 2124 (Quinn, R-Delaware) requires institutions of higher education to inform their students about their student loan debt on an annual basis.

From the Department of Education

PDE launched the Future Ready PA Index, a new school evaluation tool that provides comprehensive information and data on student and school success. There are three main measurement categories in which progress is tracked: (1) state assessment measurements that demonstrate student performance on PSSA and Keystone Exam standardized tests; (2) on-track measurements that show regular attendance and progress in reading and math; and (3) college and career-ready measurements that illustrate preparedness for post-secondary success.

From the Governor

Governor Wolf launched the PAsmart initiative, which will provide new investments in job and skills training. According to the Governor, this first-of-its-kind program will “strengthen the economy, build a thriving business climate, and ensure Pennsylvania residents have access to good paying, middle class jobs.” PAsmart invests $20 million in computer science and STEM learning and $10 million in apprenticeships and job training. Funding will be disbursed by competitive grants administered by the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board.