Making editorial changes to delete references to "approved private school" for the purpose of adding references to "approved special education school."
HB2167 makes a largely technical, terminology-wide update to Pennsylvania’s Public School Code and related regulations by replacing references to “approved private school” with “approved special education school.” The bill applies this change across multiple sections governing tuition and maintenance payments for students with disabilities, audit and reporting requirements, emergency permits, school entity definitions, charter school tuition calculations, and COVID-era extended special education enrollment provisions.
Substantively, the bill does not appear to change eligibility standards, funding formulas, or program structure. Instead, it clarifies that the statutory and regulatory provisions that previously referred to approved private schools now apply to approved special education schools, and it directs the State Board of Education and the Department of Education to update regulations accordingly. It also provides that existing statutory and appropriation references to approved private schools are to be read as references to approved special education schools, and that an approved private school is deemed an approved special education school upon the act’s effective date.
The bill would amend the Public School Code of 1949 in several sections, including provisions on special education tuition payments, audits, school district and charter school obligations, and definitions used in funding and reporting rules. It also requires conforming regulatory changes in 22 Pa. Code Chapters 14, 171, and 711, and instructs that statutory, regulatory, and appropriations references to “approved private school” be treated as references to “approved special education school.” The practical effect is to modernize terminology and reduce ambiguity for school districts, charter schools, the Department of Education, and approved special education schools serving students with disabilities.
The available legislative history suggests the bill was noncontroversial and received unanimous support in the House Education Committee, which reported it as committed by a 26-0 vote. There are no committee transcript snippets indicating opposition or debate, and the bill’s caption and text frame it as an editorial/conforming measure rather than a policy change. Overall sentiment appears favorable and procedural, with members likely viewing it as a housekeeping update.
No notable substantive contention is evident in the materials provided. Because the bill is framed as a terminology replacement, the main point of interest is whether the new term “approved special education school” could affect interpretation of existing law, funding references, or regulatory implementation. However, the bill expressly states that no other changes are to be included in the required regulatory updates, which suggests an intent to avoid broader policy disputes. Any concern would likely come from stakeholders focused on special education funding, school district obligations, or regulatory consistency, but no specific objections are shown in the record provided.