PRINTER'S NO. 226
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
263
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY WEBSTER, BURGOS, MADDEN, HILL-EVANS, SCHLOSSBERG,
SANCHEZ AND KINKEAD, MARCH 10, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 10, 2023
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in school directors, further
providing for school director training programs.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 328(a) introductory paragraph and (b)
introductory paragraph of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, are amended and
the section is amended by adding subsections to read:
Section 328. School Director Training Programs.--(a)
[Beginning in] For the 2018-2019 school year [and in each school
year thereafter] through the 2023-2024 school year, the
following shall apply:
* * *
(a.1) For the 2024-2025 school year and in each school year
thereafter, the following shall apply:
(1) Each newly elected or appointed school director shall
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complete, during the first year of the school director's first
term, a training program made available by the Department of
Education, in consultation with a Statewide organization
representing school directors and a Statewide organization
representing school business officials, pertaining to the skills
and knowledge necessary to serve as a school director. The
training program shall consist of a minimum of fourteen (14)
hours of instruction, which may be determined by the Department
of Education, and shall include, at a minimum, information
regarding the following:
(i) Instruction and academic programs.
(ii) Best practices related to trauma-informed approaches,
which shall comprise a minimum of one (1) hour of instruction.
(iii) Personnel.
(iv) Fiscal management.
(v) Operations.
(vi) Governance.
(vii) Ethics and open meetings, to include the requirements
under 65 Pa.C.S. Pt. II.
(2) Except as provided under paragraph (1), each year each
school director shall complete an advanced training program made
available by the Department of Education in consultation with a
Statewide organization representing school directors and a
Statewide organization representing school business officials.
The advanced training program shall consist of a minimum of four
(4) hours of instruction, including information on relevant
changes to information covered in the initial training course,
such as Federal and State public school law and regulations,
fiscal management, trauma-informed approaches and other
information deemed appropriate by the Department of Education to
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enable the school director to serve effectively. If there are no
changes to the information covered in the initial training
course, instruction may include other professional development
activities as determined by the Department of Education. School
districts may make recommendations on instructional content.
(3) The training programs required under this subsection
shall be made available by the Department of Education at no
cost to school districts or school directors. The Department of
Education shall approve alternative training programs that
fulfill the requirements of this subsection which may be
provided by school districts, intermediate units, postsecondary
institutions or Statewide education organizations. The
Department of Education shall post on its publicly accessible
Internet website all alternative training programs approved
under this paragraph.
(4) This subsection shall apply to members of a School
Reform Commission established under section 696, provided that
the training programs provided to members of a School Reform
Commission shall include information regarding sections 693 and
696 and other information deemed appropriate to enable a member
of a School Reform Commission to serve effectively.
(b) [Beginning in] For the 2018-2019 school year[, and in
each school year thereafter] through the 2023-2024 school year,
the following shall apply:
* * *
(b.1) For the 2024-2025 school year and in each school year
thereafter, the following shall apply:
(1) Each newly appointed trustee of a charter school entity
shall complete, within the trustee's first year of service, a
training program made available by the Department of Education,
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in consultation with Statewide organizations representing
charter school entities, pertaining to the skills and knowledge
necessary to serve as a charter school entity trustee. The
training program shall consist of a minimum of fourteen (14)
hours of instruction, which may be determined by the Department
of Education, and shall include, at a minimum, the information
listed in subsection (a.1)(1) and information concerning Article
XVII-A.
(2) Except as provided under paragraph (1), each year each
trustee shall complete an advanced training program made
available by the Department of Education in consultation with
Statewide organizations representing charter school entities.
The advanced training program shall consist of a minimum of four
(4) hours of instruction, including information on relevant
changes to information covered in the initial training course,
such as Federal and State public school law and regulations,
including Article XVII-A, fiscal management, trauma-informed
approaches and other information deemed appropriate by the
Department of Education to enable the trustee to serve
effectively. If there are no changes to the information covered
in the initial training course, instruction may include other
professional development activities as determined by the
Department of Education. Charter school entities may make
recommendations on instructional content.
(3) The training programs required under this subsection
shall be made available by the Department of Education at no
cost to charter school entities or charter school entity
trustees. The Department of Education shall approve alternative
training programs that fulfill the requirements of this
subsection which may be provided by charter school entities,
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school districts, intermediate units, postsecondary
institutions, Statewide organizations representing charter
school entities or other Statewide education organizations. The
Department of Education shall post on its publicly accessible
Internet website all alternative training programs approved
under this paragraph.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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