Last week the PA Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved new charter school regulations aimed to ensure accountability and transparency in the state’s charter and cyber schools. Some key provisions of the new regulations include:
- Charter schools must adhere to a standardized application process.
- Charter schools must publicly post non-discriminatory enrollment policies.
- Charter schools must offer employees health benefits comparable to those offered by their home school district.
- Charter schools must follow the same financial management and auditing standards as school districts.
- Charter school officials must adhere to state laws on ethics by filing public financial disclosure statements and obeying conflict-of-interest laws.
- Streamlining the process for charter schools to request tuition payments from school districts and the state.
There are currently 179 charter and cyber schools in Pennsylvania. Proponents of the new regulations, which include school officials, state that these much needed and long overdue provide updates to the 1997 Charter School Law.
Opponents, which include charter schools, feel that these changes could have detrimental economic impacts on the charter school community.
Officials from the PA Department of Education told the commission that the regulations aim to clarify existing law, ensure transparency, and build relationships.
The Legislature still has recourse to challenge the commission’s decision.
Also, this week, the House Education Committee will consider House Bill 972, which addresses transgender students in sports. The bill, entitled Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, would prohibit students who are biologically male from participating in scholastic or interscholastic teams designated for females.
The Committee will also consider House Bill 2169, which creates the Lifeline Scholarship Program. The bill gives students who reside within the area of a school district that is in the bottom 15% of performance metrics to receive a scholarship, or voucher, to choose an alternative academic school setting.
The House State Government Committee will consider House Bill 2447, which would divest the holdings of the state pension funds (PSERS and SERS) from investments connected to the Russian government.
