Madden school board training bill OK’d by House
Rep. Maureen E. Madden May 22, 2024 | 3:58 PM
HARRISBURG, May 22 – The required training courses for elected school board officials would be enhanced and made more efficient, under legislation that passed the state House of Representatives today, according to prime sponsor Rep. Maureen Madden.
“Currently, the Department of Education is responsible for delivering the training to elected school board officials. My legislation would allow professional organizations to implement the required training. This important and simple reform would ensure that school board directors have access to high quality training,” said Madden, D-Monroe.
Newly elected or appointed school directors would be required to complete, during the first year of the school director's first term, a training program made available by PDE in consultation with a statewide organization that represents at least 75% of school boards, has experience providing training that meets the requirements, and has acted as a statewide provider for at least three years.
As currently required, the training program consists of at least five hours of instruction, including information regarding the following:
- Instruction and academic programs.
- Best practices related to trauma-informed approaches, which shall comprise a minimum of one hour of instruction.
- Personnel.
- Fiscal management.
- Operations.
- Governance.
- Ethics and open meetings.
The statewide education organization also would recommend quality alternative training programs to PDE that fulfill the requirements.
The legislation (H.B. 1743) moves to the state Senate for consideration.