HARRISBURG – A bill has been introduced re-instituting a program to provide PA school districts relief from costly and unnecessary mandates. Senate Bill 569, sponsored by Sen. Jarrett Coleman of Lehigh & Bucks Counties, will allow public schools to apply to the PA Department of Education for a waiver of many state-imposed mandates. The department can approve a waiver, if the public school can prove that its instructional program will improve, or the school will operate in a more effective, efficient or economical manner. The application will require supporting data showing the benefits to the waiver. A temporary mandate waiver program was implemented as part of the emergency COVID-19 legislation in 2020. However, the waiver provisions were only available for the 2019-20 school year.
SEN. JARRETT COLEMAN