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Board hears state budget impacts, HB 1097 correction and updates on two education bills
Summary
Board member Allen briefed the Unionville-Chadds Ford board on the Pennsylvania 2024–25 budget’s impact on local schools (a BEF formula increase and cyber-charter reforms), corrected an earlier statement that House Bill 1097 does mandate a Sept. 11 moment of silence in public schools, and summarized SB 1157 (Roman’s Law) and SB 1207 (phone-free pilot).
At the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District board meeting on July 15, board member Mr. Allen summarized how the recently passed Pennsylvania 2024–25 budget would affect the district and outlined related education bills moving through the legislature.
Allen told the board the state budget includes a $225 million increase for the Basic Education Funding (BEF) formula and resets the BEF baseline to the 2023–24 allocation, which protects districts from receiving less funding than last year. "This means that school districts cannot receive less than the BEF funding that it received in the base year," Allen said. He estimated the district’s BEF allocation would rise about 4.1 (roughly $177,000) and special education funding about 3% (roughly $54,000). He also said changes and a cyber charter reimbursement should reduce the district’s cyber-charter costs, estimating approximately $69,000 for the district.
Allen described several reforms to charter governance and oversight, including requirements for charter board members and administrators to file statements of financial interest, increased auditing authority for the auditor general, and a requirement that cyber-charter providers conduct visible student wellness checks and report indications of abuse or neglect.
Separately, Allen corrected an earlier update the board had received about House Bill 1097. "Upon going back and rereading the text of the bill, it does actually mandate the the moment of silence at 911," he told the board. He clarified that while the moment of silence will be required in all public schools beginning this September, any curriculum developed around the 9/11 commemoration is optional.
Allen also updated the board on two Senate bills of interest: SB 1157 (often called Roman’s Law), which would allow a one-year delay to the start of compulsory education for some children with autism or developmental disabilities in consultation with parents and professionals, and SB 1207, which would establish a pilot 'phone-free schools' program offering funding to accepted schools and require participating schools to implement a locked-bag or similar system.
Allen said he would offer additional legislative updates at the board’s August meeting after further meetings with the Chester County School Board Legislative Council.
