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Board hears state legislative updates as budget remains unsettled
Summary
Board received a legislative briefing that the state budget had not been passed, and members were briefed on bills affecting teacher certification, cyber‑school residency verification and proposed cursive instruction requirements.
Board members received a legislative update noting the state budget had not been passed and that the absence of a budget could affect schools if unresolved. The board was briefed on several bills moving through the legislature.
The board was told House Bill 1407 had passed the House and would update teacher certification grade spans to new categories: primary (Pre‑K through 6), secondary (6 through 12) and specialized (Pre‑K through 12) to increase placement flexibility for educators. The presenter said HB1407 was not law yet.
A Senate education committee measure on cyber‑school residency verification was discussed; the bill would require cyber charter students to verify residency twice a year to prevent districts from bearing the financial cost when students who no longer reside in a district remain enrolled. The presenter characterized this measure as of interest to districts but noted it had not passed the full Senate.
The legislative report also noted a recurring proposal, House Bill 17, to require instruction in cursive handwriting; that bill had been introduced but not passed out of the House. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) had attended a recent legislative meeting to present its advocacy platform and answer questions from board members.
The report was informational; the board did not take action on the legislative items at the meeting.
