PRINTER'S NO. 90
No. 65 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY STAIRS, ARGALL, BOYD, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, COHEN,
HARRIS, HENNESSEY, JAMES, KILLION, MANN, R. STEVENSON,
YOUNGBLOOD, WANSACZ, MAHONEY, M. KELLER, BEYER, ROEBUCK AND
COX, JANUARY 30, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 30, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," providing for parental discretion in
6 classroom placement of twins and higher order multiples.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
11 section to read:
12 Section 1310.1. Classroom Placement; Parental Discretion.--
13 (a) For the 2007-2008 school year and each school year
14 thereafter, a parent or guardian of twins or higher order
15 multiples in the same grade level at the same school may request
16 that their children be placed in the same classroom or in
17 separate classrooms. The school may recommend classroom
18 placement to the parents and provide professional education
19 advice to the parents to assist them in making the best decision
1 for their children's education. A school must provide the
2 placement requested by the children's parent or guardian, unless
3 the school board makes another classroom placement determination
4 following the school principal's request in accordance with this
5 section. The parent or guardian must request the classroom
6 placement no later than fourteen (14) days after the first day
7 of each school year or fourteen (14) days after the first day of
8 attendance of the children during a school year if the children
9 are enrolled in the school after the school year commences. At
10 the end of the initial grading period, if the school principal,
11 in consultation with the children's classroom teacher,
12 determines that the requested classroom placement is disruptive
13 to the school, the school principal may request that the school
14 board determine the children's classroom placement.
15 (b) For purposes of this section, "higher order multiples"
16 means triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets or larger groups of
17 siblings born at the same time.
18 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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