HB 683 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in district superintendents and assistant district superintendents, further providing for duties of superintendents.

PRINTER'S NO.   697

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 683
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY WEBSTER, MALAGARI, GIRAL, PROBST, HILL-EVANS,
        FREEMAN, SANCHEZ AND CERRATO, FEBRUARY 20, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 20, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
 2      act relating to the public school system, including certain
 3      provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
 4      schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
 5      laws relating thereto," in district superintendents and
 6      assistant district superintendents, further providing for
 7      duties of superintendents.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.    Section 1081 of the act of March 10, 1949
11   (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
12   amended to read:
13      Section 1081.     Duties of Superintendents.--(a)    The duties of
14   district superintendents shall be to [visit]:
15      (1)   Visit personally as often as practicable the several
16   schools under his supervision[, to note].
17      (2)   Note the courses and methods of instruction and branches
18   taught[, to give].
19      (3)   Give such directions in the art and methods of teaching
20   in each school as he deems expedient and necessary[, and to
 1   report].
 2      (4)     Report to the board of school directors any
 3   insufficiency found, so that each school shall be equal to the
 4   grade for which it was established and that there may be, as far
 5   as practicable, uniformity in the courses of study in the
 6   schools of the several grades[, and such other].
 7      (5)     Assign personnel in a manner that produces student-to-
 8   teacher ratios that are not greater than:
 9      (i)     Twenty-four (24) students to one (1) teacher in
10   kindergarten, with no class being larger than twenty-nine (29)
11   students. If there are more than twenty-four (24) students to
12   one (1) teacher in a class, the superintendent must assign a
13   full-time teacher's aide or second teacher to the class.
14      (ii)     Twenty-four (24) students to one (1) teacher in grades
15   one, two and three, with no class being larger than thirty (30)
16   students.
17      (iii)     Twenty-five (25) students to one (1) teacher in grades
18   four, five and six, with no class being larger than thirty-five
19   (35) students.
20      (iv)     Twenty-four (24) students to one (1) teacher in grades
21   seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve, with no class being
22   larger than thirty-five (35) students.
23      (6)     Notify the parents of each student in a class that
24   exceeds the student-to-teacher ratio required under paragraph
25   (5) no later than ten (10) days after the date on which the
26   class exceeded the maximum student-to-teacher ratio. The
27   notification shall state the reason for the student-to-teacher
28   ratio in the class exceeding the maximum ratio and describe the
29   measures that the superintendent will take to reduce the class
30   size to comply with paragraph (5). No later than thirty (30)

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 1   days after the date on which a superintendent knows that a class
 2   exceeds the maximum student-to-teacher ratio, the superintendent
 3   shall provide a plan to the Department of Education for reducing
 4   the class size in compliance with paragraph (5) by the beginning
 5   of the next semester or within ninety (90) days, whichever is
 6   later.
 7      (7)   Perform other duties as may be required by the board of
 8   school directors.
 9      (b)   Subsection (a)(5) or (6) shall not be construed to limit
10   the number of students per teacher in a classroom for classes
11   with a primary group instruction focus, including physical
12   education or instruction in choral, band or orchestra music.
13      (c)   The district superintendent shall have a seat on the
14   board of school directors of the district, and the right to
15   speak on all matters before the board, but not to vote.
16      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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