SB 254 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, providing for the STEM Grant Program; and making an appropriation.

PRINTER'S NO.   205

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 254
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY MASTRIANO, BARTOLOTTA, FONTANA, LAUGHLIN,
        PENNYCUICK AND BOSCOLA, FEBRUARY 13, 2025

     REFERRED TO EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 13, 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," providing for the STEM Grant Program;
 6      and making an appropriation.
 7      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 8   hereby enacts as follows:
 9      Section 1.     The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10   as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding an
11   article to read:
12                                ARTICLE XV-O
13                             STEM GRANT PROGRAM
14   Section 1501-O.    Scope of article.
15      This article relates to the STEM Grant Program.
16   Section 1502-O.    Definitions.
17      The following words and phrases when used in this article
18   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
19   context clearly indicates otherwise:
20      "Department."    The Department of Education of the
 1   Commonwealth.
 2      "Nonpublic school."     A nonprofit organization, charter
 3   school, cyber charter school, private school or a nonprofit
 4   school, other than a public school, in this Commonwealth where a
 5   resident of this Commonwealth may legally fulfill the compulsory
 6   school attendance requirements of this act and which meets the
 7   requirements of 42 U.S.C. Ch. 21 Subch. V (relating to federally
 8   assisted programs).
 9      "Program."     The STEM Grant Program under section 1503-O.
10      "Secretary."     The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth.
11      "STEM."     Science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
12      "STEM subject."     A class for which the instruction relates to
13   the topics of science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
14   Section 1503-O.    Administrations.
15      (a)   Selection of administrator.--Within 30 days of the
16   effective date of this subsection, the department shall issue a
17   request for applications for an intermediate unit to administer
18   the program.
19      (b)   Applications.--The selected administrator shall develop
20   an application process for the program consistent with the
21   provisions of section 1504-O(a).
22      (c)   Notification.--The selected administrator shall annually
23   notify all educators employed by the school districts or
24   nonpublic schools within this Commonwealth of the program and
25   shall submit a list of all eligible educators who express
26   interest in participating in the program to the department by
27   January 15 of each year. The secretary shall post the list on
28   the department's publicly accessible Internet website by January
29   30 of each year.
30      (d)   Awards.--The selected administrator shall be responsible

20250SB0254PN0205                    - 2 -
 1   for the distribution of awards as provided for under section
 2   1505-O.
 3      (e)    Fees.--The selected administrator shall utilize no more
 4   than 5% of the total appropriation for the program for
 5   administrative costs associated with this article.
 6   Section 1504-O.     Application and acceptance.
 7      (a)    Application.--A nonpublic school that elects to
 8   participate in the program shall submit an application to the
 9   secretary in a manner and on a form as determined by the
10   secretary. The secretary shall establish the application
11   deadlines for each school year. An application shall include the
12   following:
13             (1)   The names of the public and nonpublic school and
14      eligible educators from each that shall form a STEM
15      partnership under the program.
16             (2)   A statement from the nonpublic school and the
17      eligible educator that the eligible educator shall teach at
18      the nonpublic school during hours when the educator has no
19      conflicting public school duties.
20             (3)   The proposed schedule and grades to be taught by the
21      eligible educator at the nonpublic school.
22             (4)   The number of students, based on enrollment
23      projections, who will receive instruction from the eligible
24      educator under the proposed schedule at the nonpublic school.
25             (5)   A certification from the nonpublic school that the
26      eligible educator shall provide only secular instruction at
27      the nonpublic school.
28             (6)   Any other information specified by the secretary.
29      (b)    Notification.--Upon receiving an application under
30   subsection (a), the secretary shall, within 10 business days of

20250SB0254PN0205                     - 3 -
 1   receipt of the application, notify the school district where the
 2   educator is employed of the partnership between the nonpublic
 3   school and the educator and shall detail the proposed schedule
 4   and grades to be taught by the educator at the nonpublic school.
 5   Section 1505-O.    Grant awards.
 6      (a)   Award.--The secretary shall award grants under the
 7   program based on review of the applications and subject to the
 8   limit of money appropriated or otherwise made available for the
 9   program. Grant money for approved applications shall be
10   allocated by the department to the selected administrator.
11      (b)   Use of funds.--The selected administrator shall use the
12   funds to provide compensation to a participating nonpublic
13   school as reimbursement for costs incurred during the previous
14   school year for the services of an eligible educator under the
15   program. The secretary shall establish the amount of each grant
16   awarded to a participating nonpublic school using the following
17   calculation:
18            (1)   An eligible educator shall receive an amount equal
19      to the educator's hourly wage multiplied by the number of
20      hours the educator teaches STEM subjects at a nonpublic
21      school under the program multiplied by a factor of 1.25 to
22      account for preparatory time.
23            (2)   In the event that sufficient money is not
24      appropriated to fully fund the compensation to be provided to
25      eligible educators under paragraph (1), the secretary shall
26      apportion the amount appropriated for the implementation of
27      this article among the eligible educators in proportion to
28      the compensation each participating eligible educator would
29      have received had the full amount been appropriated.
30      (c)   Limitations.--

20250SB0254PN0205                    - 4 -
 1        (1)    Money appropriated to the department for the program
 2    shall be used exclusively for the hiring of eligible
 3    educators to teach STEM subjects at a participating nonpublic
 4    school. The eligible educator shall teach only the classes
 5    stipulated under the program.
 6        (2)    The program may not infringe on the collective
 7    bargaining agreement between the majority representative of
 8    the collective negotiations unit in which the eligible
 9    educator is a member and the school district in which the
10    educator is employed.
11        (3)    At the conclusion of each school year, a nonpublic
12    school participating in the program shall submit a report to
13    the secretary containing information on the implementation of
14    the program in the nonpublic school. The report shall
15    include:
16               (i)    The days and classroom hours that the eligible
17        educator taught in the nonpublic school.
18               (ii)    Any scheduling obstacles that were encountered
19        and how they were addressed.
20               (iii)    Any recommendations to improve the program and
21        the effectiveness of the program.
22               (iv)    Number of students that joined the program.
23               (v)    Number of students who were denied access to the
24        program due to the lack of eligible educators.
25               (vi)    Number of STEM students who applied to either a
26        two-year or four-year college.
27               (vii)    Number of STEM students who were accepted to a
28        two-year or four-year college.
29               (viii)    Any other information pertinent to the
30        program.

20250SB0254PN0205                    - 5 -
1   Section 1506-O.    Appropriation.
2      The sum of $1,000,000 is appropriated from the General Fund
3   to the department for the purposes of this article. The
4   appropriation under this section shall not lapse.
5      Section 2.     This act shall take effect immediately.




20250SB0254PN0205                   - 6 -