An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in pupils and attendance, further providing for attendance policy at charter, regional charter and c . . .yber charter schools.
Summary
HB338 amends the Pennsylvania Public School Code provisions governing attendance policy and reporting for charter, regional charter, and cyber charter schools. The bill keeps the existing requirement that these schools report unexcused absences directly to the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Pennsylvania Information Management System (PIMS), and it adds a new requirement for cyber charter schools to report each student’s attendance to the student’s school district of residence on a weekly basis, using a department-developed form.
The weekly reporting requirement would begin with the 2024-2025 school year and the act would take effect immediately upon enactment. In practical terms, the bill is aimed at increasing attendance transparency and giving resident school districts more timely information about cyber charter student participation, while preserving the state-level reporting of unexcused absences.
Impact
HB338 would amend Section 1327.2 of the Public School Code of 1949, specifically the attendance reporting rules for charter, regional charter, and cyber charter schools. It would not change general compulsory attendance law, but it would impose an additional reporting duty on cyber charter schools and reinforce the Department of Education’s role in collecting attendance and absence data through PIMS. School districts of residence would receive weekly attendance information for cyber charter students, which could affect enrollment oversight, truancy monitoring, and accountability practices for charter-sector students and their home districts.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the bill appears to be presented as a straightforward administrative and accountability measure rather than a highly controversial policy change. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided material, so there is no documented debate or formal opposition to assess. The sponsorship list suggests at least some bipartisan interest, and the bill’s focus on reporting and data-sharing indicates a generally procedural, oversight-oriented intent.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the added reporting burden on cyber charter schools, which may view weekly attendance reporting to resident districts as an administrative requirement that could increase compliance costs or scrutiny. Another likely issue is the broader policy debate over charter and cyber charter accountability, with supporters likely emphasizing transparency and attendance monitoring while critics may argue that the bill singles out cyber charters or creates duplicative reporting. No specific objections or supporters are documented in the provided transcripts or votes.
In pupils and attendance, further providing for attendance policy at charter, regional charter and cyber charter schools, for procedure when child is truant, for procedure by school when child habitually truant, for procedure upon filing of citation and for penalties for violating compulsory school attendance requirements, repealing provisions relating to study of truancy procedure, providing for department supports to prevent truancy and further providing for reports to Superintendent of Public Instruction.