This bill creates the Pennsylvania Robotics Team Support Grant Program to provide financial assistance to K-12 school districts and intermediate units for their robotics teams. The program establishes a dedicated fund that will be initially seeded with $2.5 million from the state, along with future contributions and interest earnings. To qualify for grants, eligible applicants must demonstrate partnerships with local businesses or educational institutions, secure a 25% local match for the funding, and participate in both virtual and in-person robotics competitions. Awarded funds can be used for coaching stipends capped at $1,500 per school building, competition travel and materials, and bonuses for teams advancing to higher competition levels, with a maximum grant limit of $10,000 per team per year. The Department of Education will manage the application process and publish annual reports on grant usage and recipient information.
This Pennsylvania bill requires public and private schools to teach students in grades six through twelve about suicide prevention and violence awareness, while also introducing social isolation education for students from kindergarten through grade twelve. To support these requirements, the state education department must create and publish a list of evidence-based, age-appropriate curricula that schools can use to deliver at least one hour of instruction annually. The materials must cover identifying warning signs, seeking help, and reporting dangerous behavior, with the option for schools to combine these lessons into a single class period. Additionally, the legislation allows for the establishment of student-led violence prevention clubs to further promote safety within school communities.
Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1320 creates a new tax credit to help residents offset costs for youth sports programs. The bill defines eligible expenses as fees, equipment, and travel for non-professional sports activities attended by students from kindergarten through age 21. Parents, guardians, or grandparents can claim a credit against their state income tax if their household income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. The maximum credit is $1,500 for individual filers and $3,000 for joint filers, and the credit cannot be refunded or carried over to other tax years.
HB 2527 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to update the definition of an 'eligible student' for early learning programs. Under the new provisions, a child qualifies if they are at least three years old, younger than the kindergarten entry age in their district, and live in a household earning no more than 400% of the federal poverty level. This legislative change directly affects eligibility criteria for early childhood education funding and services in the state.
HB 2491 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to update rules regarding student transportation for public and charter schools. The bill clarifies that school districts must provide free transportation to charter school students within ten miles, mirroring the terms used for public school students, while also allowing districts to use public transit for certain routes. Additionally, the legislation restricts the use of common carriers like buses for transporting kindergarten through sixth-grade students and outlines specific conditions under which walking is permitted instead of providing a ride.
This bill allows the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education to temporarily waive a rule requiring career and technical education programs to end by the twelfth grade. Under the new provision, the secretary can approve programs that continue beyond high school graduation, though existing programs may still choose to end at grade 12. The authority to grant these waivers will last for three years or until final regulations are issued, whichever happens first. This change directly affects vocational and technical education programs within the state's public school system.
This bill amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to clarify rules for student transportation and liability insurance, primarily affecting school districts and charter schools. It allows districts to provide free transportation for students attending nonpublic schools and field trips, extending the ten-mile limit for area career and technical schools. The legislation also specifies that students in kindergarten through eighth grade cannot be transported via common carriers and establishes insurance requirements for private vehicles used in school transport. Additionally, it mandates that charter schools within ten miles of a student's residence receive the same free transportation as public schools, with specific distance exceptions for elementary and secondary students.
This bill designates 2026 as the 80th Anniversary Year of the State YMCA of Pennsylvania Youth and Government Program. The resolution formally recognizes the program's eight-decade history of engaging high school students in hands-on civic education and leadership training. It also commends the organization for its long-standing commitment to developing future leaders and providing financial assistance to participants.
This Pennsylvania bill, HB 2338, amends the Public School Code of 1949 to protect student expression in K-12 schools by requiring school entities to adopt policies safeguarding religious, political, and ideological speech. The legislation prohibits discrimination or penalties against students for expressing viewpoints in class, assignments, presentations, or student-led gatherings, provided such expression occurs in the same time, place, and manner as other students. While protecting student speech, the bill allows schools to restrict unprotected expression like threats, obscenity, or conduct that substantially disrupts school operations. Students who believe their rights are violated can file lawsuits seeking damages and other relief, with the state waiving immunity to allow such cases in federal court.
This bill amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code of 1949 to allow the Secretary of Education to temporarily waive a requirement that career and technical education programs must end by twelfth grade. The change directly affects students in vocational and technical education programs and gives the state education secretary the authority to approve programs that extend beyond high school graduation. The waiver is limited to three years or until final regulations are issued, whichever happens first, and does not prevent existing programs from ending in twelfth grade. Students already enrolled in these programs before the waiver expires will not be affected by the change.
