Category: State Government Actions

PA Requests Critical Food Programs for Kids be Extended by USDA (August 23, 2020)

Wolf Administration officials have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to extend national waivers due to expire on August 31, 2020 that have allowed Pennsylvania to provide approximately 24 million meals to school children during the pandemic.

If waivers are allowed to expire at the end of the month, it will bring an end to breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks for school-age children and their younger siblings. The Wolf Administration’s request urges the following actions:

  • Allow the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) to be used to feed children during the 2020-21 school year. Permitting both schools and nonprofits to continue use of this waiver would significantly reduce administrative burdens, limit confusion of where meals can be accessed, allow meals to be provided at locations most convenient for families, and help to limit overt identification of children from low-income households.
  • Expand the non-congregate and other approved waivers for the National School Lunch Program to the SFSP and SSO to allow these programs to be used to feed children when they are not physically in school. Extending these waivers will allow community-based nonprofit organizations to assist schools in meeting the needs of children at locations that work best for families, particularly on days when children are engaging in remote, virtual learning.
  • Extend the Area Eligibility waiver for SFSP and SSO through the 2020-21 school year. Allowing feeding sites to provide meals in communities that do not meet the 50 percent free or reduced-price threshold for area eligibility has been essential to providing necessary food to children despite the uncertainty and stress that has come with the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Waive the Afterschool Activity Requirement for the Afterschool Meal and Snack Programs available through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) through the 2020-21 school year. This waiver is critical for CACFP sites to be able to provide access to meals and snacks when providing the activity component isn’t otherwise safe or feasible.
  • Allow those providing meals through the SFSP or SSO to also serve through the Afterschool Meal and Snack Programs. While children receiving meals through SFSP or SSO are only able to receive two meals per day, USDA allowed a third meal to be provided under guidance issued through the unanticipated school closure waiver. This waiver was critical over the past six months in providing three meals a day to children in need of food assistance and will be critical to continue in order for community-based nonprofit organizations to replicate the meal options being provided by schools.

The above extensions will help to make sure that Pennsylvania children under the age of 18 have access to much-needed sustenance regardless of the instructional models used by their schools.

For more information, please click here.

PIAA Votes to Begin Fall Sports (August 21, 2020)

On Friday, August 21, 2020, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Board of Directors  voted 25-5 to begin the fall sports season on Monday, August 24, 2020. According to a PIAA press release, all sports may begin based on decisions made by school districts and the decision to compete in athletics should be made locally, allowing for each school entity to decide whether to proceed and which sports to sponsor. The PIAA goes on to say that, through each member schools’ adherence to their developed school health and safety plans and the PIAA Return to Competition guidelines, sports can continue.

To view the PIAA Press Release, click here.

BSE Sends Reporting of Expenditures Relating to Exceptional Students Memo to LEAs (August 17, 2020)

On August 17, 2020, Carole L. Clancy, Director of the PA Bureau of Special Education, sent a PennLink communiqué to all LEAs titled Reporting of Expenditures Relating to Exceptional Students, which states that Act 16 of 2000 (24 PS §13-1372(8)) requires the Reporting of Expenditures Relating to Exceptional Students.  School districts and charter schools must report the number of students with disabilities for which expenditures were between $1 and $26,505.90; between $26,505.91 and $53,011.82; between $53,011.83 and $79,517.74; and $79,517.75 and over for the prior entire school year (2019-2020). This report will be collected at the student level through PIMS using the Student Fact Template for Special Education Act 16 Funds.  The template will be collected during Collection #1 (opening October 1 and closing with a deadline of October 15, 2020).  Data is to be based on expenditures incurred during the entire 2019-20 school year. Guidelines regarding the Act 16 reporting can be found at Act 16 Information. The Student Fact Template for Special Education Act 16 Funds can be found in the PIMS manual. LEAs are advised that failure to complete the Student Fact Template for Special Education Act 16 Funds report may have an adverse effect on the LEA’s special education funding. Questions regarding this reporting requirement may be emailed to [email protected].  A copy of this information is being provided to each intermediate unit so they may assist school districts and charter schools with report preparation, as needed. 

PDH and PDE Join to Provide PA Schools with Guidance on Handling COVID-19 Outbreaks (August 14, 2020)

On August 14, 2020, the PA Department of Health (PDH) and the PA Department of Education (PDE) provided recommendations to school leaders for responding to confirmed cases of COVID-19 among students or staff. The recommendations are based on the level of community transmission and number of cases over a 14-day period.

The recommendations are as follows:

  • One (1) Case: Areas where the infected person spent time should be cleaned.
  • Two (2) to Four (4) Cases in the Same School Building: The building should close for three (3) to seven (7) days, depending on the level of community transmission in the county in which the school is located. Areas where the infected people spent time should be cleaned.
  • Five (5) or More Cases in the Same School Building: The school should close for 14 days, and the entire building should be cleaned.

When an entire school is recommended to close, lengths of closure time will vary by level of community transmission and number of cases. This allows public health staff the necessary time to complete case investigations and contact tracing, and to provide schools with other appropriate public health advice like cleaning and disinfecting. Regardless of the number of cases, schools are advised to engage in contact tracing.

If there is a substantial level of community transmission, it is recommended that schools shut down and use a fully remote instructional model.

State officials are expressing a willingness to work with school officials to advise regarding cleaning, contact tracing, quarantining, and closure determinations.

A chart for determining the actions to take can be found on the PDE website by clicking here.

PA Schools Receive CHIP Notice for 2020-21 School Year (August 12, 2020)

On August 12, 2020, all PA school superintendents and chief school administrators received via Penn*Link a letter from Patricia M. Allan, Executive Director of the PA Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The letter informs recipients that the Pennsylvania ACT 84 of 2015 requires that public and nonpublic schools receive electronic notice of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) on an annual basis no later than August 15.

CHIP covers uninsured kids and teens up to age 19 – and no family earns too much to qualify. CHIP provides quality, comprehensive health insurance for routine doctor visits, prescriptions, dental, eye care, eyeglasses, mental health and much more. CHIP covers uninsured kids who are not eligible for Medical Assistance. For most families, CHIP is free – for others, it is low cost.

Letter recipients were advised that a CHIP Notice flyer was created and should be shared with every parent or guardian of every student enrolled in the district during the school year. Recipients were also advised to send the electronic notice of the CHIP Notice flyer to each school under their jurisdiction at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year through email or with other information that is being sent as parent packets or prepared for students to take home.

The flyer can be found on the PAPSA website by clicking here, the letter can be found on the PAPSA website by clicking here, and more information and resources can be found on the CHIP website at www.CHIPcoversPAkids.com.