A stop-gap measure that was put in place to help PA’s public schools go through the Covid-19 pandemic is now law as part of the 2023-24 state budget.
State Representative Jim Struzzi announced on Thursday that language from his House Bill 27 was made part of the Education Code portion of the budget. The bill’s original intent was to give schools some flexibility when addressing day-to-day substitute teacher shortages. The bill would have allowed districts to hire annuitants, prospective teachers and graduates of educator prep programs as subs.
The language from the bill was made part of Act 33, one of the budget acts that passed the state house and senate earlier this week to tie up loose ends with the state budget. Act 33 will also provide funding for libraries and career and technical schools that had not been given out for the last five and a half months, and includes provisions related to student mental health and school safety.
