PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 90 PRINTER'S NO. 1351
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, COX,
PETRI, MENSCH, KORTZ, GEIST, DENLINGER, MURT, SHAPIRO AND
MOYER, JANUARY 30, 2007
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 18, 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
1 advice to the parents to assist them in making the best decision
2 for their children's education. A school must EXCEPT AS PROVIDED <--
3 IN SUBSECTIONS (B) AND (C), A SCHOOL SHALL provide the placement
4 requested by the children's parent or guardian, unless the
5 school board makes another classroom placement determination
6 following the school principal's request in accordance with this
7 section. The parent or guardian must request the classroom
8 placement no later than fourteen (14) days after the first day
9 of each school year or fourteen (14) days after the first day of
10 attendance of the children during a school year if the children
11 are enrolled in the school after the school year commences. At <--
12 the end of the initial grading period, if the school principal,
13 in consultation with the children's classroom teacher,
14 determines that the requested classroom placement is disruptive
15 to the school, the school principal may request that the school
16 board determine the children's classroom placement.
17 (B) IF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE <--
18 TEACHER OF EACH CLASSROOM IN WHICH THE TWINS OR HIGHER ORDER
19 MULTIPLES ARE PLACED, DETERMINES THAT THE REQUESTED CLASSROOM
20 PLACEMENT IS DISRUPTIVE TO THE CLASSROOM, THE PRINCIPAL MAY
21 DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE CLASSROOM PLACEMENT FOR THE SIBLINGS.
22 (C) A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NOT REQUIRED TO PLACE TWINS OR
23 HIGHER ORDER MULTIPLES IN SEPARATE CLASSROOMS IF THE REQUEST
24 WOULD REQUIRE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL CLASS TO
25 THE GRADE LEVEL OF THE SIBLINGS.
26 (D) A PARENT MAY APPEAL THE PRINCIPAL'S CLASSROOM PLACEMENT
27 OF TWINS OR HIGHER ORDER MULTIPLES IN THE MANNER PROVIDED BY
28 SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY.
29 (b) (E) For purposes of this section, "higher order <--
30 multiples" means triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets or larger
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1 groups of siblings born at the same time.
2 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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