Category: Government Actions

PDE Gives 10 Schools Funding to Teach Students About Disabilities (May 9, 2026)

On May 7, 2026 the Shapiro Administration announced that it is giving 10 schools funding to join a pilot program designed to teach K-12 students about the political, economic, and social contributions of individuals with disabilities.

The Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program influences the overall culture and environment of schools by reducing stigma and including disability education as a part of a school-wide strategic plan. This is the second round of $30,000 grants, which cover the cost of implementing the curriculum over three years. With this second round of funding, the Shapiro Administration has committed a total of $600,000 to 20 school entities to incorporate disability inclusive educational programming in classrooms since the Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program launched in 2023-24. 

The following entities received grants:
-Carbondale Area School District in Lackawanna County
-Chester County IU24
-Delta School (Approved Private School) in Philadelphia
-Middle Bucks Institute of Technology in Bucks County
-Pittston Area School District in Luzerne County
-Upper Bucks County Technical School in Bucks County
-Reach Cyber Charter School
-Tri-Valley School District in Schuylkill County
-Intermediate Unit 1 in the Southwest Region
-Plum Borough School District in Allegheny County

In 2023, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) developed a toolkit to assist schools with implementation of the Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program. The toolkit resources are inclusive of all age/grade levels and include sample lesson plans, professional development offerings/opportunities, ideas for implementing a disability inclusive curriculum, disability-led organizational contacts, and other resources.

Pennsylvania’s Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Grant was established by a state law in 2022 and is open to all school districts, charter school entities, intermediate units, career and technical centers, and nonpublic schools.

USDE: Education is Not a Professional Degree (May 8, 2026)

On April 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) released final regulations excluding graduate education programs from its definition of “professional degrees,” making them ineligible for higher federal student loan caps. Consequently, borrowing for these programs will be capped at $100,000, as opposed to the $200,000 cap that is placed on “professional students” from the following 11 fields: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology and clinical psychology.

Opponents to the exclusion cited teacher shortages and the importance of graduate programs for licensure advancement, specialization and leadership roles in education. In its final rules, the USDE acknowledged concerns over the exclusion of education from the list of professional degrees, but argued that it was bound by a reference in last year’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” to an existing regulatory definition of professional programs.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

PA State Board of Ed. Holds 391st Meeting (May 7, 2026)

On May 7, 2026, the PA State Board of Education (Board) held its 391st meeting at the PDE building in Harrisburg and via Zoom. The meeting began at 9:24 AM by Chairperson Karen Farmer White.

PA Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe’s report highlighted how PA is helping college students through the provision of resources that include such things as food, shelter, clothing, childcare, and financial assistance. She also reported on dual credit opportunities for students offered in high schools, at college campuses, or both. She also highlighted Kutztown University’s program that allows high school students to earn between 12-18 college credits and includes an education major track for prospective teachers. She concluded her report by informing attendees how the PA EmpowerU program is going to create videos that will help link high school students with college students to help allay fears or issues that freshmen may face.

Ms Amanda Hetrick provided the Board with recommendations by the Ad Hoc Committee on Recess. She also stated that comments from the public overwhelmingly supported the need to have recess. Comments whether recess time could be impinged upon for disciplinary or academic reasons were mixed, but supported the need for children to have recess. Comments also supported the opportunity for non-physical play and the need for freedom within the structure of recess.

The meeting’s action items included an item to approve recommendations by the Ad Hoc Committee on Recess. The recommendations included:
–Recess Policy: All Commonwealth schools must provide 30 minutes daily recess for grades K-5 (and grade 6 in shared buildings) with multiple flexibility provisions including non-consecutive periods, modified schedules, and up to 10 minutes may be withheld for academic support or discipline.
–Recess Definition: Recess defined as play-based learning emphasizing physical activity, social interaction, screen-free activities, and outdoor recreation when safe.
–Instructional Time: School entities may submit plans to PDE to count supervised recess as instructional time if it meets established requirements.
–Implementation Timeline: Schools afforded one school year to prepare if addressing staffing, supervision, or collective bargaining needs.
–Secondary Exploration: Ad Hoc Committee to continue exploring breaks for secondary students; PDE to survey current secondary break practices.
–PDE will create a repository of recess best practices on structured/unstructured models.
–PDE will conduct a survey on secondary student break practices to inform committee exploration.

Another action item was to announce the passing of former State Board of Ed. member James Agras, who served on the Board for 27 years and was an exceptional Board member and person.

All action items were unanimously approved by the Board.

PDE Releases School District Reconfiguration Update Information, Changes Due by July 31st (May 6, 2026)

School districts and intermediate units must update their 2026-27 administrative information in the Education Names and Addresses (EdNA) system and notify the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) of changes by , 2026.
The official record for local education agencies (LEAs) is maintained in EdNA. Current information enables accurate allocation of funds and efficient data submission and communication between PDE and LEAs.
Below are instructions for updating/revising your LEA’s information regarding chief administrators, school names and addresses, changes in school grade configurations, and reporting of alteration/curtailment of programs. Note: These instructions only pertain to school districts and intermediate units.

SCHOOL OPENINGS/CLOSINGS/RECONFIGURATIONS, BUILDING CLOSURES
Changes to school configuration that require review and approval by PDE include opening/closing a school building to K-12 educational use, and closing, opening, renaming, or reconfiguring a school (i.e., changing the grade levels of a school).
The process of reviewing and approving these changes requires the school district or intermediate unit to submit the following within the Future Ready Comprehensive Planning Portal (FRCPP):

  1. A signed letter from the chief school administrator including a summary of the proposed change(s) along with the current school configuration, and the number of students in the current and proposed configurations;
  2. Board affirmation statement or board minutes documenting the local board’s approval of those changes; and
  3. Evidence of the required public hearing, if closing a building to K-12 educational use for the school year.

Detailed instructions for submitting these changes are available on the PDE website at School Reconfigurations (pa.gov).
Requests for the upcoming 2026-27 school year will be processed beginning May 1, 2026, and accepted until the deadline of July 31, 2026.

Accessing the School Reconfiguration Application
The first step to gaining access to the portal is to ensure that you are a registered user on the PDE portal. If you are not a registered user, your school entity’s Local Security Administrator can add/remove users in MyPDESuite. Instructions for adding users and a step-by-step guide for using the FRCPP are available in the Accessing the FRCPP | Department of Education | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
For technical issues with accessing the portal, please contact the FRCPP resource account at RA-EDFRCPP@pa.gov.

ALTERATION AND/OR CURTAILMENT OF PROGRAMS
Act 82 of 2012 amended section 1124 of the Pennsylvania School Code (24 P.S. § 11-1124) such that alterations or curtailments of programs under section 112(a)(2) no longer require PDE approval. However, LEAs must notify PDE of any alterations or curtailments that are being made under section 1124(a)(2) that may result in the suspension/furlough of professional staff.
Questions may be directed to RA-PDE-SchoolService@pa.gov.
Questions regarding chief school administrators and commissioned officers can be directed to RA-EDFRCPP@pa.gov.

PSCA Needs Your Help to Get HB 2218 Passed (May 6, 2026)

Take Action
We are calling on all members to contact your state senator and urge them to support HB 2218. Pennsylvania is currently the only state in the nation that does not require defined school counseling programs or school counselors in schools.
This legislation is a critical step toward ensuring students receive the support they need by requiring schools to implement comprehensive counseling programs, with a goal of dedicating 80% of counselors’ time to direct and indirect student services.

Why It Matters
Supports student mental health and well-being
-Establishes consistent, statewide counseling standards
-Aligns Pennsylvania with national best practices

Learn More and Get Involved:
GET INVOLVED NOW
PA School Counseling Service Act White Paper

You can find your state representative using the link below!
Ask them to join as a cosponsor!
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Your advocacy matters. Together, we can ensure every student in Pennsylvania has access to the support they deserve.

Thank you for taking action!