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HB 338

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 cyber charter schools.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jake Banta and 7 co-sponsors

HB 338 modifies Pennsylvania attendance policies for charter, regional charter, and cyber charter schools to establish clearer requirements and enforcement mechanisms.

Referred to Education
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Bill Summary · HB 338

Legislative bill overview

HB 338 modifies Pennsylvania's Public School Code of 1949 to establish new or revised attendance policies specifically for charter schools, regional charter schools, and cyber charter schools. The bill addresses how these publicly-funded but independently-operated schools manage student attendance requirements and related enforcement mechanisms.

Why is this important

Charter schools serve a significant portion of Pennsylvania's student population, but they operate under different governance structures than traditional public schools. Clarifying attendance policies for these schools affects student accountability, funding calculations (which often depend on attendance), and dropout prevention efforts across the state's diversified education system.

Potential points of contention

  • Flexibility vs. Consistency: Charter schools may argue for greater flexibility in attendance policies suited to their educational models, while traditional public school advocates may push for uniform standards across all publicly-funded schools
  • Cyber school enforcement: Online schools face unique challenges monitoring attendance; the bill must balance accessibility (a key cyber school advantage) against accountability for engagement
  • Funding implications: Attendance directly affects per-pupil funding formulas; stricter policies could disadvantage schools serving at-risk or chronically absent populations, while looser policies could reduce district funding accountability

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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