Board hears PSBA update on four education bills including mental‑health days and mandate waivers

At the meeting, the PSBA legislative representative summarized four House bills of interest to local school districts.

HB1648 would create excused mental‑health days for students and require a staff member to speak with any student who has taken two or more such days and connect them to mental‑health supports. The presenter framed the bill as an opportunity to normalize mental‑health supports and connect students to services earlier.

HB1283 — introduced by Representative Carol Hill Evans — would create a grant program to help schools hire nonprofit organizations that provide evidence‑based student supports to reduce dropouts; it would fund the program through an account in the state treasury using unencumbered/undistributed Department of Education revenue, donations and interest.

HB1398 would restrict school districts from requiring a minimum‑grade policy (commonly called a no‑zero policy), arguing proponents say it reduces student accountability.

HB2095 would establish a mandate‑waiver program allowing school districts to adopt public resolutions suspending certain costly state mandates (excluding those related to health, safety and nondiscrimination), subject to review and possible disapproval by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and periodic reassessment every three years.

Why it matters: The bills address student mental health, dropout prevention, grading policy, and district flexibility from costly mandates — all topics that can materially affect school operations and budgets if enacted at the state level.