PRINTER'S NO. 1000
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
832
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY HARKINS, KIM, D. COSTA, C. PARKER, BROWNLEE,
O'BRIEN, BIZZARRO, SCHWEYER, PASHINSKI, McNEILL, THOMAS,
COHEN, KINSEY, J. HARRIS, MULLERY, V. BROWN, BARBIN,
SAMUELSON, CARROLL, McCARTER, MAHONEY, MURT, FARINA AND
ROEBUCK, MARCH 24, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 24, 2015
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in duties and powers of boards of
school directors, further providing for kindergartens; and,
in pupils and attendance, further providing for the
definition of "compulsory school age."
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 503 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, amended
September 21, 1959 (P.L.925, No.373) and October 21, 1965
(P.L.601, No.312), is amended to read:
Section 503. Kindergartens.--(a) The board of school
directors in [any school district may] all school districts
shall establish and maintain kindergartens [for children between
the ages of four and six years. When established, the]. A
district may establish an age policy but may not deny
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kindergarten to any child who is five years of age or older on
the first day of the school year. The kindergartens shall be an
integral part of the elementary school system of the district,
and be kept open for not less than two and one-half hours each
day for the full school term as provided in section 1501.
(b) The number of kindergartens in any one district shall be
fixed by the board of school directors, and shall be open during
the school year. Kindergartens shall be available to all
children in residence of the school district who are of the age
fixed by the board of school directors under subsection (a).
[If the average attendance in any one kindergarten in any
district is ten or less for the school year, the school
directors shall, at the close of the school year, discontinue
the same.]
(c) The board of school directors shall appoint and assign a
sufficient number of teachers to such kindergartens, who shall
be certified in accordance with the rules and regulations
prescribed by the [Council of Basic Education.] State Board of
Education.
(d) One hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) collected by
the Department of Revenue each fiscal year under Article II of
the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the "Tax Reform
Code of 1971," shall annually be transferred to a special fund
within the State Treasury, which fund is hereby established. The
money of the fund is appropriated on a continuing basis to the
Department of Education for the purpose of providing grants to
school districts under this section. The amounts awarded to
school districts under this subsection shall be in addition to
any other amount annually appropriated for the purposes of
providing kindergarten and other early childhood education
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programs in school districts, including accountability grants
established under section 2599.2.
Section 2. Section 1326 of the act is amended to read:
Section 1326. Definitions.--The term "compulsory school
age," as hereinafter used, shall mean the period of a child's
life from the time the child's parents elect to have the child
enter school, which shall be not later than at the age of [eight
(8)] six (6) years, until the age of seventeen (17) years. The
term shall not include any child who holds a certificate of
graduation from a regularly accredited senior high school.
The term "migratory child," wherever used in this subdivision
of this article, shall include any child domiciled temporarily
in any school district for the purpose of seasonal employment,
but not acquiring residence therein, and any child accompanying
his parent or guardian who is so domiciled.
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.
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