1Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2act relating to the public school system, including certain
3provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5laws relating thereto," in duties and powers of boards of
6school directors, further providing for additional schools
7and departments and for kindergartens; and, in terms and
8courses of study, further providing for dates and times of
9school terms and sessions.

10The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11hereby enacts as follows:

12Section 1. Section 502 of act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
13No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, amended May 9,
141949 (P.L.939, No.263), is amended to read:

15Section 502. Additional Schools and Departments.--In
16addition to the elementary public schools, the board of school
17directors in any school district may establish, equip, furnish,
18and maintain the following additional schools or departments for
19the education and recreation of persons residing in said
20district, and for the proper operation of its schools, namely:--

21High schools,

1Trade schools,

2Vocational schools,

3Technical schools,

4Cafeterias,

5Agricultural schools,

6Evening schools,

7[Kindergartens,]

8Libraries,

9Museums,

10Reading-rooms,

11Gymnasiums,

12Playgrounds,

13Schools for physically and mentally handicapped,

14Truant schools,

15Parental schools,

16Schools for adults,

17Public lectures,

18Such other schools or educational departments as the
19directors, in their wisdom, may see proper to establish.

20Said additional schools or departments, when established,
21shall be an integral part of the public school system in such
22school district and shall be so administered.

23No pupil shall be refused admission to the courses in these
24additional schools or departments, by reason of the fact that
25his elementary or academic education is being or has been
26received in a school other than a public school.

27Section 2. Section 503 of the act, amended September 21,
281959 (P.L.925, No.373), and October 21, 1965 (P.L.601, No.312),
29is amended to read:

30Section 503. Kindergartens.--(a) The board of school

1directors in [any] every school district may establish and
2maintain kindergartens for children between the ages of four and
3six years. When established, the kindergartens shall be an
4integral part of the elementary school system of the district,
5and be kept open for not less than two and one-half hours each
6day for the full school term as provided in section 1501.

7(b) The number of kindergartens in any one district shall be
8fixed by the board of school directors, and shall be open during
9the school year. Kindergartens shall be made available to all 
10children in residence within the school district who are between 
11the ages of four and six years.

12[If the average attendance in any one kindergarten in any
13district is ten or less for the school year, the school
14directors shall, at the close of the school year, discontinue
15the same.]

16(c) The board of school directors shall appoint and assign a
17sufficient number of teachers to such kindergartens, who shall
18be certified in accordance with the rules and regulations
19prescribed by the [Council of Basic Education] State Board of 
20Education.

21Section 3. Section 1504(a) of the act, amended July 1, 1978
22(P.L.575, No.105), is amended to read:

23Section 1504. Dates and Times of School Terms and Sessions;
24Commencement.--(a) The board of school directors of each school
25district shall fix the date of the beginning of the school term.
26Unless otherwise determined by the board, the daily session of
27school shall open at nine ante-meridian and close at four post-
28meridian, with an intermission of one hour at noon, and an
29intermission of fifteen minutes in the forenoon and in the
30afternoon. Upon request of a board of school directors for an

1exception to the aforesaid daily schedule, the Secretary of
2Education may, when in his opinion a meritorious educational
3program warrants, approve a school week containing a minimum of
4twenty seven and one-half hours of instruction as the equivalent
5of five (5) school days, or a school year containing a minimum
6of nine hundred ninety hours (990) of instruction at the
7secondary level or nine hundred (900) hours of instruction at
8the elementary level or four hundred fifty (450) hours of 
9instruction at the kindergarten level as the equivalent of one
10hundred eighty (180) school days. Professional and temporary
11professional employes shall be allowed a lunch period free of
12supervisory or other duties of at least thirty minutes. The
13provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to repeal
14any rule or regulation of any board of school directors now in
15effect which provides for a lunch period longer than the minimum
16prescribed herein or to repeal any action of any board of school
17directors taken in compliance with section 7 of the act of July
1825, 1913 (P.L.1024, No.466), entitled "An act to protect the
19public health and welfare, by regulating the employment of
20females in certain establishments, with respect to their hours
21of labor and the conditions of their employment; by establishing
22certain sanitary regulations in the establishments in which they
23work; by requiring certain abstracts and notices to be posted;
24by providing for the enforcement of this act by the Commissioner
25of Labor and Industry and others; by prescribing penalties for
26violations thereof; by defining the procedure in prosecutions;
27and by repealing all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with
28the provisions thereof," as amended.

29* * *

30Section 4. This act shall apply to the 2014-2015 school year

1and each school year thereafter.

2Section 5. This act shall take effect immediately.