Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

Pennsylvania Senate Bill SB799

Introduced

5/28/25

Refer

5/28/25

Caption

In charter schools, further providing for funding for charter schools.

Summary

SB 799 would amend Pennsylvania’s Public School Code provisions governing charter school funding. The bill revises the formula used to calculate payments from a student’s district of residence to a charter school for non-special education students, and it makes a corresponding change for special education students. It also adds a new limitation for cyber charter schools: if a student’s school district or intermediate unit already offers a cyber charter school, then payment to a nonaffiliated cyber charter school would be capped at the highest amount that an affiliated cyber charter school, if any, would have received for that student. For special education students, the bill keeps the base charter school payment tied to the non-special education amount and then adds a special education supplement based on the district’s total special education expenditures and enrollment formula. The bill would take effect 60 days after enactment.

Impact

The bill would amend Section 1725-A of the Public School Code of 1949, changing how charter schools are funded by school districts of residence. Its practical effect would be to alter the per-student payments districts must make to charter schools, especially cyber charter schools, and to impose a payment cap in certain cases involving nonaffiliated cyber charters. It would also affect the calculation of special education charter payments, with implications for school district budgets, charter school revenues, and funding disputes between districts and charter operators.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the available context suggests a policy-focused proposal aimed at revising charter school funding formulas rather than a bill with documented public support or opposition in the record provided. The introduction by multiple senators indicates legislative interest in the issue, but no voting history or transcript evidence is available here to show how strongly the bill was received.

Contention

The main likely point of contention is charter school funding, particularly the treatment of cyber charter schools and whether district payments should be capped when a district or intermediate unit offers its own cyber charter option. Charter advocates may view the bill as restricting funding and limiting parental choice, while school districts and critics of current charter funding formulas may support it as a cost-control measure. Special education funding calculations may also be debated because they affect how much additional money charter schools receive for students with disabilities.

Latest PA SB799 Activity

View All Events: PA 2025-2026 Regular Session SB799

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

PA HB2424

In charter schools, further providing for funding for charter schools.

PA HB2358

In charter schools, further providing for funding for cyber charter schools.

PA SB354

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.

PA HB495

In charter schools, further providing for enrollment.

PA SB934

In cyber charter schools, further providing for enrollment and notification.

PA HB2293

In charter schools, further providing for enrollment.

PA HB1500

In preliminary provisions, providing for Cyber Charter School Funding and Policy Council and furthe r providing for advertising and sponsorships; in pupils and attendance, further providing for exceptional children and education and training; in charter schools, further providing for definitions, for funding for cyber charter schools, for powers and duties of department and for assessment and evaluation, providing for fund balance limits, further providing for cyber charter school requirements and prohibitions, providing for cyber charter school fund balance accountability, further providing for establishment of cyber charter school, for cyber charter school application, for enrollment and notification, for enrollee wellness checks and for applicability of other provisions of this act and of other acts and regulations and providing for cyber charter school moratorium; and, in reimbursements by Commonwealth and between school districts, further providing for extraordinary special education program expenses.

PA HB1864

In charter schools, further providing for enrollee wellness checks.

PA SB927

In charter schools, further providing for enrollee wellness checks.

PA HB1372

In preliminary provisions, further providing for advertising and sponsorships; and, in charter scho ols, further providing for definitions, for charter school requirements, for powers of board of trustees, for facilities, for enrollment, for funding for charter schools, for funding for cyber charter schools, for powers and duties of department, for assessment and evaluation and for cyber charter school requirements and prohibitions, providing for fund balance limits and for educational management service providers, further providing for school district and intermediate unit responsibilities and for establishment of cyber charter school, providing for renewal of charters, for charter amendments and for causes for nonrenewal, revocation or termination and further providing for State Charter School Appeal Board review, for cyber charter school application, for enrollment and notification and for applicability of other provisions of this act and of other acts and regulations.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.