Wrapping up by the June 30 deadline with time to spare, the General Assembly sent the Governor all of the legislative pieces necessary for a balanced 2019-2020 state spending plan. This year included all possible “Code bills:”  Administrative Code, Fiscal Code, Human Services Code, Public School Code and Tax Code. Below is a summary of this year’s Public School Code Omnibus Bill, H.B. 1615. The bill passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of Y:160/N: 39 and in the Senate by a vote of Y:37/N:13.

  • Reconstitutes the Special Education Funding Commission and requires them to issue a report by November 30, 2019.
  • Establishes a “full academic year requirement” (relating to enrollment) for a student’s score to be included into the school accountability performance calculation.
  • Requires a school board to electronically submit their annual budget, including the amount of excess revenues, to the Department of Education (PDE) for online publication within 30 days after receipt.
  • Prohibits PDE from accepting or approving new school building construction or reconstruction project applications in the 2019-20 fiscal year.
  • Prohibits a person who has a served as chief recovery officer or financial administrator from being elected or appointed as the school’s superintendent.
  • Changes the compulsory school age from 8-17 years old to 6-18 years old.
  • Provides students that owe money for school meals and who are not eligible for participation in the school food program the opportunity to receive alternative meals until the unpaid balance is paid or a payment plan has been established.
  • Requires PDE to pay for audits of recovery high schools.
  • Establishes an Innovation Schools Program to study and evaluate innovative approaches to economically disadvantaged schools, including workforce development, mentoring, before and after school programs, prevention measures, and social wrap-around services.
  • Provides flat funding for community colleges, with an additional amount for operating costs determined for each school.
  • Makes several changes to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program (OSTC):
    • Increases the maximum annual household income allowed for scholarship eligibility from $85,000 to $90,000.
    • Adds a qualified Subchapter S trust to the definition of a “pass-through entity”.
    • Outlines requirements for opportunity scholarship organizations for economically disadvantaged schools. Also provides for a new $5 million OSTC tax credit for contributions from business firms to increase the scholarship amount to students attending an economically disadvantaged school by up to $1,000. It also increases the maximum scholarship amount for a student attending an economically disadvantaged school from $8,500 to $9,500 and a student with disabilities attending an economically disadvantaged school from $15,000 to $16,000.
    • Gives preference for tax credits submitted on July 1 for a two-year commitment by a business firm that was denied credits in the prior fiscal year.
    • Increases the amount of EITC tax credits available by $25 million.
  • Requires that postsecondary institutions adopt sexual harassment and sexual violence prevention and reporting policies.
  • The Philadelphia Board of Education shall establish a compulsory school age at no earlier than age six.
  • Increases the eligibly requirements for receipt of a Ready-to-Succeed scholarship.
  • Provides funding to libraries.
  • Provides for full funding of career and technical education.
  • Appropriates $698.6 million through the basic education funding formula.
  • Provides flat funding for special education services at intermediate units.
  • Allows PDE to utilize up to $7 million of undistributed funds to assist school districts declared to be in financial recovery status.
  • Flat funds school entities’ Ready to Learn Block Grant funding.
  • Requires that PDE provide advanced placement and international baccalaureate exam fee assistance to students with financial need.
  • Establishes a fostering independence tuition and fee waiver program for eligible foster children enrolled in institutions of higher education.