An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in charter schools, further providing for funding for charter schools, for provisions applicable to charter schools and for applicability of other provisions of this act and of other acts and regulations.

SB 354 changes how Pennsylvania charter schools receive state funding for special education students, effective the 2025-2026 school year. It replaces a previous formula with a new system that provides additional funding based on three cost categories: Category 1 (1.51x base funding), Category 2 (3.77x), and Category 3 (7.46x), determined by the actual cost of services documented by the charter school. Charter schools must submit cost documentation to the state and school districts, and must return overpayments if costs are lower than received. This directly affects charter schools serving special education students and the school districts that fund them. The bill also clarifies which state education laws apply to charter schools.