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 district and assistant
6superintendents, further providing for eligibility.

7The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8hereby enacts as follows:

9Section 1. Section 1003 of the act of March 10, 1949 
10(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
11amended June 30, 2012 (P.L.684, No.82), is amended to read:

12Section 1003. Eligibility.--[(a) Except as otherwise 
13provided in subsections (b) and (b.1), no] No person shall
14receive a letter of eligibility or be elected or appointed as a
15district superintendent or assistant district superintendent[,
16unless--

17(1) He holds a diploma from a college or other institution
18approved by the Department of Education;

19(2) He has had six (6) years' successful teaching

1experience, not less than three of which shall have been in a
2supervisory or administrative capacity;

3(3) He has completed in a college or university a graduate
4program in education approved by the Department of Education
5that includes the Pennsylvania school leadership standards under
6section 1217. Completion of the program shall not be subject to
7waiver under section 1714-B unless the candidate provides to the
8Secretary of Education evidence that the candidate has
9successfully completed an equivalent leadership development
10program that addresses the school leadership standards under
11section 1217.

12(4) Provided that in school districts of the first class,
13five (5) years of administrative experience at the level of
14assistant, associate or deputy superintendent, may be
15substituted for prescribed graduate administrative courses, and
16which shall be the responsibility of the Secretary of Education
17to review these equivalences to conform with State board
18regulations.

19(b) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (a), a
20person shall be eligible for election or appointment as a
21district superintendent or assistant district superintendent if
22he holds a graduate degree from an accredited higher education
23institution in business, finance or management and has at least
24four (4) years of relevant experience in business, finance or
25management.

26(b.1) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (a), a
27person shall be eligible for election or appointment as a
28district superintendent or assistant district superintendent if
29he holds a juris doctorate degree from an accredited law school
30and has at least four (4) years of relevant experience in law.

1This subsection shall expire three (3) years from the effective
2date of this subsection. A person who is issued a commission by
3the department based on satisfaction of the requirements of this
4subsection may retain his commission after the expiration of
5this subsection.

6(b.2) The department shall, upon request in a form and 
7manner as prescribed by the department and made available on the 
8department's publicly accessible Internet website, confirm that 
9an individual satisfies the requirements of subsection (b) or 
10(b.1) and that the individual is eligible for election or 
11appointment as a district superintendent or assistant district 
12superintendent. Upon a school district's hiring of an individual 
13who satisfies the requirements of subsection (b) or (b.1), the 
14department shall issue the individual a commission.

15(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1205.1(f), 
161205.2(n.1) and 1205.5(h), a person elected or appointed as a 
17district superintendent or assistant district superintendent for 
18the first time in this Commonwealth under subsection (b) or 
19(b.1) shall successfully complete a leadership development 
20program that meets the Pennsylvania school leadership standards 
21under section 1217.] unless the person receives a majority vote 
22of the board of school directors as required under section 508.

23Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.