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District reviews policy changes after state school-safety law updates, notes requirement for school police personnel
Summary
Board members reviewed policy revisions driven by recent state law changes: Act 33 of 2023 altered school-safety reporting and responsibilities, and Act 55 of 2024 establishes a provision that each district must have at least one full-time school police personnel. The administration said the district is in compliance and will present final policy language at the vote.
At the Oct. 14 workshop, the administration walked the board through a package of policy updates prompted by state law changes and PSBA (Pennsylvania School Boards Association) guidance.
David summarized that Act 33 of 2023 required updates to school-safety incident reporting and shifted some responsibilities (previously in the Office of Safe Schools) to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). He said the district’s policy language was updated to reflect the new reporting terminology and legal citations.
David also discussed Act 55 of 2024, which the administration cited as establishing a new section of the Pennsylvania School Code requiring each district to have at least one full-time school police personnel and to report personnel counts and training dates. “This is because of Act 55 of 2024. It establishes new section 24 PS 13-1316 of the PA school code requiring each school district to have at least 1 full time school police personnel,” he said.
Board members asked about options — district-employed police, contracted school police, resource officers, or security personnel — and noted differences in arrest authority and court attendance. A board member with police-security experience recommended considering full-time certified officers to provide court authority when needed; the administration said grant funds had been earmarked to add a second officer if feasible.
Why it matters: The policy edits reflect statutory obligations for reporting, coordination with law enforcement, and minimum staffing or contractor options for school police personnel. The administration emphasized the changes are mostly terminology and coordination updates but do carry staffing and reporting requirements.
What’s next: The updated policy language will be posted in the shared drive and finalized for a board vote at the upcoming business meeting.
