Category: State Government Actions

State Officials Provide Update On Strategy To Protect In-Person Instruction At Schools (September 30, 2021)

On September 30, 2021, continuing to prioritize in-person instruction for K-12 students in Pennsylvania, the departments of Education, Health and Transportation discussed the state’s strategy to address a shortage of school bus drivers, and provided updates on the anticipated rollout of the vaccine for those age 5-11, and COVID testing in schools.

“Across Pennsylvania, students are excited to be back in the classroom, learning and growing and playing alongside their classmates,” said Education Secretary Dr. Noe Ortega. “Our schools and students are resilient, and under the extraordinary circumstances created by the pandemic, this has been a good start to the school year. I thank the students, parents and communities for working together and finding creative solutions so students can remain in the classroom, where it’s vital for them to be.”

Hiring more school bus drivers

The nationwide shortage of school bus drivers is affecting many school districts in Pennsylvania. To address the need, school districts can use federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to reimburse parents or guardians to safely transport their students to and from in-person school.

PennDOT is reaching out to approximately 375,000 drivers with a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in the state about the immediate need for drivers and how to get the correct endorsements for a school bus license. 

PennDOT will also temporarily expand its days of operation to offer CDL skills testing at 23 locations throughout the state to include Mondays for four weeks beginning October 18. The additional day will make the process more convenient for potential drivers to complete the process faster. To schedule a CDL skills test, either visit the Driver and Vehicle Services website or call 717-412-5300. Additionally, certain third-party businesses are certified by PennDOT to administer the road test for a market-driven fee.

“PennDOT is committed to ensuring safe transportation for students,” Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Kurt Myers said. “We urge CDL licensees who are seeking work or supplemental employment to obtain a school bus endorsement – taking advantage of the additional hours for CDL testing – to help transport students safely.” 

For anyone wishing to become a bus driver, the first step is obtaining initial issuance of a CDL. Anyone 18 years or older may obtain the School Bus and Passenger endorsements on a CDL to obtain a school bus license. For a list of steps and forms to obtain a CDL and the school bus endorsement, please visit the Driver and Vehicle Services website under School Bus Drivers.

Vaccine in children ages 5 to 11

Currently, students 12 and older are eligible and encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19. This week, Pfizer submitted its application to the federal government for approval to administer vaccine to children between 5 and 11 years old. While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) review and approval process is anticipated to take several weeks, school districts are encouraged to contact local vaccine providers to schedule on-site vaccination clinics.

“It’s very encouraging that more than half-a-million school-aged kids are already vaccinated,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “We know that vaccinations are one of the best ways to prevent illness due to COVID-19 and help keep students learning in-person. That’s why we encourage everyone eligible to get vaccinated and we encourage schools to help make it as convenient as possible. It’s not too early to schedule a vaccine clinic in November in anticipation of federal approval for kids between 5 and 11.”

For eligible adolescents in Pennsylvania, 21.9 percent of children ages 12-14 are fully vaccinated and 42.6 percent of children ages 15-19 are fully vaccinated.

“The vaccination numbers continue to increase,” Beam said noting that vaccine providers must be connecting with schools as suggested last month. “In the past week, DOH has helped to connect a school in Erie and one in Pittsburgh to vaccine providers in the region.”

Last month, an order by the Acting Secretary of Health directed vaccine providers to coordinate vaccine clinics with schools for the employees, contractors, volunteers, students, or students’ families of the school. The clinics can be held at the school or a location agreed upon by the school and vaccine provider. If a provider is unable to coordinate a vaccination clinic with the school, the provider is responsible for directing the school to the Department of Health to be provided with contact information for other vaccine providers.

K-12 classroom testing program

There are 396 schools using the 100-percent federally-funded COVID-19 testing program the Wolf Administration launched for the start of this school year to provide safer in-person environments for students, teachers and staff. The pooled testing program is part of a larger strategy that schools are using including vaccination, physical distancing, facilities improvements, masks/face coverings, and hand hygiene to reduce the spread of the virus and keep students learning in classrooms.

“In the past week, more than 800 tests have been conducted in schools across the state through this free initiative,” Beam said. “The combination of on-going testing, masking and vaccinations will help keep students learning in the classroom.”

Schools can opt-in to participate in the free COVID-19 testing program at any time. The Department of Health is encouraging all schools to take advantage of this free testing program.

Early detection of COVID-19 cases in schools can help school officials take action that will help keep schools open and students in classrooms and participating in extracurricular activities. A key part of the testing program is the quick turnaround time for testing results, which is one to two days after testing. This allows schools to quickly identify if they have positive cases and to take action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 throughout the school and mitigate a possible school shutdown.

To support schools in the event a student tests positive for COVID-19, visit PDE’s website to access information on responding to COVID-19 cases in schools.

PDE Seeks Public Comments on Proposed Charter School Regulations through October 18 (September 30, 2021)

Randy Seely, Chief of PDE’s Division of Charter Schools released a PennLink titled Accepting Public Comments on Proposed Charter School Regulations through October 18.

On September 18, 2021, PDE’s proposal to add Chapter 713 (regulations relating to charter schools and cyber charter schools) to Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code was published in the PA Bulletin, initiating a 30-day public comment period.

All local education agencies are encouraged to view the proposed regulation and to submit comments to PDE. Public comments may be submitted during a 30-day window beginning September 18 through October 18. The proposed regulations clarify six areas of Pennsylvania’s Charter School Law:

Charter school applications requirement: Establishes requirements for applications to open a charter school, allowing school districts authorizing brick and mortar charter schools and PDE authorizing cyber charter schools to hold the schools to high academic, fiscal and administrative standards; ensures charter schools will equitably serve all students; and provides consistent application expectations.

Non-discriminatory enrollment policies: Requires charter schools to post their non-discrimination enrollment policy on their website and in the student application so families and taxpayers know how admission preferences are considered and weighted.

Boards of Trustees ethics standards: Clarifies that charter school trustees are subject to the state’s Public Official and Employee Ethics Act, addresses conflicts of interest, and sets penalties for violations. The same requirements already apply to school districts.

Financial and auditing standards: Requires charter schools to use common accounting principles and auditing standards as school districts already do. This will make reviewing annual reports and financial records easier for school districts and PDE.

Redirection process clarification: Outlines the process to reconcile disputes over school district payments to charter schools for student tuition.

Charter school employee health care benefits parity: Ensures charter school staff have adequate health care. The charter school law requires charter schools provide the same health care benefits as the authorizing school district. The regulation clarifies that when a charter school serves more than one school district, the school district in which the charter school’s administrative office is located is the district of comparison.

Public comments can be submitted in two ways: Emailed to [email protected] or mailed to: Division of Charter Schools, Department of Education, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126.

As required by state law, all comments submitted on the proposed regulation will be shared with the House and Senate Education Committees and the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) to assist in their review of the regulation. (Please note that IRRC posts all comments on its website exactly as they are submitted and does not remove or redact any information, including name, address, email, phone numbers, etc.).

Questions about the regulation should be sent to [email protected].

Wolf Administration Announces Plan to Distribute $655 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Pennsylvania Child Care Providers (September 28, 2021)

On Monday, September 27th, the PA Department of Human Services (DHS) Acting Secretary Meg Snead announced the Wolf Administration’s plan to distribute $655 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to stabilize Pennsylvania’s child care industry. Licensed child care providers are invited to submit applications for one-time grant funding that can be used to cover expenses and provide stabilization to this critical industry. 

DHS partnered with Penn State’s Institute of State and Regional Affairs to develop a distribution methodology that is fair and maximizes the impact of every dollar. At least 90 percent of the total funding will be used to provide grant funding directly to eligible child care providers that submit applications, making approximately $655 million for this funding opportunity.

“OCDEL issued small grants quickly during the onset of the pandemic, while collaborating with the Institute to gather and use quality data to inform later funding decisions. Over multiple rounds of funding, Pennsylvania has been responsive to both urgent needs and emerging research findings,” said Dr. Philip Sirinides, the institute’s director. “OCDEL is now in a position to distribute ARPA stabilization grants through an equitable and data-driven approach.”  

DHS has established an online application process that is available starting today. Child care providers have the discretion to use these dollars for a variety of purposes, which include:

  • Personnel costs, including for both recruitment and retention efforts, such as sign-on bonuses and pay increases;
  • Operational costs, such as rent or mortgage payments, utilities, maintenance, and insurance;
  • Health and safety costs, such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), cleaning and sanitation supplies, and staff professional development related to health and safety practices;
  • Equipment and supplies;
  • Goods and services necessary to maintain or resume child care services;
  • Mental health services for children and staff; and,
  • Reimbursement for past COVID-19-related expenses incurred after January 31, 2020.

“Early learning center teachers are critical front-line workers working with a vulnerable population — young children who do not yet have access to a vaccine — and our teachers are vulnerable themselves to this dangerous virus,” said Jennifer Ross, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg, which operates the Brenner Family Early Learning Center. “We are truly appreciative of the flexibility we have in how these critical funds can be spent. With ever-changing circumstances, that flexibility is essential.”

Providers will have nine months after their application is approved to use these dollars and provide a report to DHS on how those dollars were used. This one-time funding is available to child care providers with a license in good standing that have been open since March 11, 2021 – or, if temporarily closed, that plan to reopen by the end of September. 

“The pandemic exacerbated existing child care challenges with serious economic implications for child care providers, working families and businesses,” said Andrea Heberlein, executive director of the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission, which collaborated on a report released in June about the economic impacts of COVID-19 on Pennsylvania’s child care sector. “The ARPA child care stabilization dollars are essential for immediate recovery efforts and point to the necessity of long-term reinvestment in this critical two-generation workforce issue.”

More information about the stabilization grants is available online, including a calculator for providers to estimate their grant funding and a comprehensive FAQ document for providers.

PDE Provides Memo on Fiscal Training, Including IDEA-B, 611; and ARP Supplemental IDEA Funds (September 23, 2021)

On September 20, 2021, PDE BSE Director Carole L. Clancy disseminated a PennLink memo titled Fiscal Training, including IDEA-B, 611; and ARP Supplemental IDEA Funds. It informed recipients that the Federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has oversight of states’ compliance with federal special education regulations and requirements.

OSEP has incorporated a component of its compliance monitoring verification visits to include a fiscal verification review. Some components of its fiscal verification review will include a review of the use of funds for coordinated early intervening services, maintenance of effort, and general use of federal, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B (IDEA-B), and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Supplemental IDEA funds.

To assist the local educational agencies (LEAs) in working with these components of the federal on-site visits, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is providing training to familiarize special education directors and business administrators with clarifying information. This training will address the following topics: IDEA -B, 611; and ARP Supplemental IDEA Fiscal Programming, Contingency Funding, ACT 16, and Approved Private School Electronic Management System.

It is required that each school district and charter school send participants to this training. Because the training is highlighting the fiscal program data verifications associated with the IDEA-B fiscal reporting requirements, it is strongly recommended that the participants attending this training are the special education director and business administrator. Also, if a school district or charter school contracts for business services, its contracted business representative should attend.

In-person training sessions will be held in October and early November, with dates to be announced. Virtual sessions will be scheduled and recorded in case of updated COVID travel restrictions. Registration and session information is available at https://www.pattan.net/events/.

Any questions regarding the fiscal training should be directed to Dr. Del Hart, Chief, Division of Analysis & Financial Reporting, at 717.772.1114 or [email protected]. Any questions about registration should be directed to Karen Weaver at PaTTAN-Pittsburgh, 412-826-6842 or [email protected].

Anti-mask Order Amendments Tabled in PA House (September 22, 2021)

On Tuesday, September 21, 2021, PA House Republicans tabled nine amendments to HB 1659 that were aimed at curtailing the PA Department of Health (PDH) mask order for schools. HB 1659, which centers on the Kinesthetic Learning Platform Pilot Program and has basically nothing to do with masking during a pandemic, was allowed to proceed without the amendments. Those amendments  would have either given school boards the sole authority to implement mask mandates sometimes with some liability protections or forced school districts to accept formal opt-out requests from parents/guardians or doctors.

Republicans are expected to continue to look for ways to negate the PDH order, despite PDH data showing that there were 11.5 times as many cases of COVID-19 among school aged children from Sept. 8 to Sept. 14, 2021 as there were during the same period in 2020.

For more form the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, click here.