PRINTER'S NO. 144
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
158
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY PEIFER, MILLARD, LONGIETTI, O'NEILL, GROVE, MURT,
TALLMAN, SAYLOR, M. K. KELLER, CARROLL, READSHAW, MAJOR AND
TOPPER, JANUARY 22, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 22, 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," providing for secretary declaration
of emergencies.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
section to read:
Section 1505. Secretary Declaration of Emergencies.--(a)
Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year and in each school year
thereafter, the Secretary of Education may issue a weather-
related, safety-related or health-related emergency declaration
on a school district, county or Statewide basis under which a
school entity may satisfy the one hundred eighty (180)
instructional day per school year requirement in section 1501 of
this act by one or more of the following options:
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(1) Approving, by majority vote of the governing board of
the school entity, a school year with a minimum of nine hundred
(900) hours of instruction at the elementary level and nine
hundred ninety (990) hours of instruction at the secondary level
in lieu of one hundred eighty (180) instructional days.
(2) Approving, by majority vote of the governing board of
the school entity, the scheduling of additional instructional
days on Saturdays to complete one hundred eighty (180)
instructional days or nine hundred (900) hours of instruction at
the elementary level and nine hundred ninety (990) hours of
instruction at the secondary level: Provided, however, that a
school entity shall not schedule more than one Saturday per
month as an instructional day and shall not schedule tests or
other examinations on a Saturday. Where a school entity chooses
to schedule an instructional day on Saturday under the
provisions of this paragraph, the following shall apply:
(i) The school entity may schedule a regular instructional
day on the following Monday.
(ii) The school entity shall, upon the written request of a
parent or guardian, excuse a student from school attendance if
the student has the opportunity to receive a program of advanced
instruction, to participate in academic or skills competition or
to engage in leadership development activities. The request
shall identify and describe the instruction, competition or
leadership development activities and the dates and hours for
which the absence is requested. The parent or guardian shall,
following each such absence, furnish in writing to the school
entity a statement attesting to the student's participation,
including the dates and hours of such participation.
(iii) The school entity shall, upon the written notification
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of a parent or guardian, excuse a student from school attendance
to observe or participate in a religious activity or function. A
student's absence from school pursuant to this subparagraph
shall be considered an instructional day and shall not be
recorded as an absence on the student's attendance record or on
the record of any group or class of which the student is a
member. There shall be no penalty attached for any such absences
pursuant to this subparagraph.
(b) A school entity shall notify the department, on a form
to be developed by the department, of any decision to use the
options provided for under subsection (a) to satisfy the one
hundred eighty (180) instructional day per school year
requirement.
(c) No school entity shall receive less subsidy payments or
reimbursements than it would otherwise be entitled to receive by
the decision to use the options provided under subsection (a).
(d) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department" shall mean the Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"School entity" shall mean a school district, area
vocational-technical school, intermediate unit, charter school,
regional charter school or cyber charter school.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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