HB 774 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in school directors, further providing for school director training programs.

PRINTER'S NO.   796

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 774
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY WEBSTER, PROBST, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ, RIVERA AND
        CERRATO, MARCH 3, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 3, 2025


                                    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," in school directors, further
 6      providing for school director training programs.
 7      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 8   hereby enacts as follows:
 9      Section 1.    Section 328(a) introductory paragraph and (b)
10   introductory paragraph of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
11   No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, are amended and
12   the section is amended by adding subsections to read:
13      Section 328.    School Director Training Programs.--(a)
14   [Beginning in] For the 2018-2019 school year [and in each school
15   year thereafter] through the 2025-2026 school year, the
16   following shall apply:
17      * * *
18      (a.1)   For the 2026-2027 school year and in each school year
19   thereafter, the following shall apply:
20      (1)   Each newly elected or appointed school director shall
 1   complete, during the first year of the school director's first
 2   term, a training program made available by the Department of
 3   Education, in consultation with a Statewide organization
 4   representing school directors and a Statewide organization
 5   representing school business officials, pertaining to the skills
 6   and knowledge necessary to serve as a school director. The
 7   training program shall consist of a minimum of fourteen (14)
 8   hours of instruction, which may be determined by the Department
 9   of Education, and shall include, at a minimum, information
10   regarding the following:
11      (i)    Instruction and academic programs.
12      (ii)    Best practices related to trauma-informed approaches,
13   which shall comprise a minimum of one (1) hour of instruction.
14      (iii)    Personnel.
15      (iv)    Fiscal management.
16      (v)    Operations.
17      (vi)    Governance.
18      (vii)    Ethics and open meetings, to include the requirements
19   under 65 Pa.C.S. Pt. II.
20      (2)    Except as provided under paragraph (1), each year each
21   school director shall complete an advanced training program made
22   available by the Department of Education in consultation with a
23   Statewide organization representing school directors and a
24   Statewide organization representing school business officials.
25   The advanced training program shall consist of a minimum of four
26   (4) hours of instruction, including information on relevant
27   changes to information covered in the initial training course,
28   such as Federal and State public school law and regulations,
29   fiscal management, trauma-informed approaches and other
30   information deemed appropriate by the Department of Education to

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 1   enable the school director to serve effectively. If there are no
 2   changes to the information covered in the initial training
 3   course, instruction may include other professional development
 4   activities as determined by the Department of Education. School
 5   districts may make recommendations on instructional content.
 6      (3)   The training programs required under this subsection
 7   shall be made available by the Department of Education at no
 8   cost to school districts or school directors. The Department of
 9   Education shall approve alternative training programs that
10   fulfill the requirements of this subsection which may be
11   provided by school districts, intermediate units, postsecondary
12   institutions or Statewide education organizations. The
13   Department of Education shall post on its publicly accessible
14   Internet website all alternative training programs approved
15   under this paragraph.
16      (4)   This subsection shall apply to members of a School
17   Reform Commission established under section 696, provided that
18   the training programs provided to members of a School Reform
19   Commission shall include information regarding sections 693 and
20   696 and other information deemed appropriate to enable a member
21   of a School Reform Commission to serve effectively.
22      (b)   [Beginning in] For the 2018-2019 school year[, and in
23   each school year thereafter] through the 2025-2026 school year,
24   the following shall apply:
25      * * *
26      (b.1)   For the 2026-2027 school year and in each school year
27   thereafter, the following shall apply:
28      (1)   Each newly appointed trustee of a charter school entity
29   shall complete, within the trustee's first year of service, a
30   training program made available by the Department of Education,

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 1   in consultation with Statewide organizations representing
 2   charter school entities, pertaining to the skills and knowledge
 3   necessary to serve as a charter school entity trustee. The
 4   training program shall consist of a minimum of fourteen (14)
 5   hours of instruction, which may be determined by the Department
 6   of Education, and shall include, at a minimum, the information
 7   listed in subsection (a.1)(1) and information concerning Article
 8   XVII-A.
 9      (2)    Except as provided under paragraph (1), each year each
10   trustee shall complete an advanced training program made
11   available by the Department of Education in consultation with
12   Statewide organizations representing charter school entities.
13   The advanced training program shall consist of a minimum of four
14   (4) hours of instruction, including information on relevant
15   changes to information covered in the initial training course,
16   such as Federal and State public school law and regulations,
17   including Article XVII-A, fiscal management, trauma-informed
18   approaches and other information deemed appropriate by the
19   Department of Education to enable the trustee to serve
20   effectively. If there are no changes to the information covered
21   in the initial training course, instruction may include other
22   professional development activities as determined by the
23   Department of Education. Charter school entities may make
24   recommendations on instructional content.
25      (3)    The training programs required under this subsection
26   shall be made available by the Department of Education at no
27   cost to charter school entities or charter school entity
28   trustees. The Department of Education shall approve alternative
29   training programs that fulfill the requirements of this
30   subsection which may be provided by charter school entities,

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1   school districts, intermediate units, postsecondary
2   institutions, Statewide organizations representing charter
3   school entities or other Statewide education organizations. The
4   Department of Education shall post on its publicly accessible
5   Internet website all alternative training programs approved
6   under this paragraph.
7      * * *
8      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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