School boards hold significant responsibility in managing the education, safety, and well-being of Pennsylvania’s children. However, school board members currently receive minimal preparation for their roles, despite the complexity of the topics they must address. This lack of training can hinder their ability to make informed decisions on behalf of students, staff, and taxpayers.
 
My legislation increases the required training for new school board members from five to 14 hours and the training for re-elected school board members from three hours per term to four hours annually. Topics would include instruction, fiscal management, and operations, with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) empowered to adjust content to meet evolving needs. These same requirements would apply to charter school trustees, who hold similar responsibilities.
 
By aligning Pennsylvania’s training standards with those of neighboring states, we can ensure school board members are well-prepared to manage the thousands of staff and students and millions of public dollars entrusted to them. My legislation sets a foundation for better informed decision-making, improving the quality of education and fiscal oversight in our schools.
 
The better informed our school board members are in their decision making, the more they can ensure our schools are providing the best education possible while being fiscally sound. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation to set our schools and our children up for success.
 
 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0796: P.L.30, No.14