CDC issues new guidance for schools on screening symptoms
 This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance to K-12 schools on COVID-19 symptom screening as part of a school reopening process. The CDC notes that given the wide range of symptoms and the fact that some people with the COVID-19 infection are asymptomatic, there are limitations to symptom screening conducted by schools for the identification of COVID-19. Based on the best available evidence at this time:
- CDC does not currently recommend universal symptom screenings (screening all students grades K-12) be conducted by schools.
- Parents or caregivers should be strongly encouraged to monitor their children for signs of infectious illness every day.
- Students who are sick should not attend school in-person.
The guidance notes that symptom screenings will fail to identify some students who have COVID-19 infection. Further, symptom screenings will identify only that a person may have an illness, not that the illness is COVID-19. Some students may develop symptoms of infectious illness while at school, and schools should take action to isolate students who develop these symptoms from other students and staff. However, excluding students from school for longer than what is called for in existing school policies (e.g., fever free without medication for 24-hours) based on COVID-19 symptoms alone risks repeated, long-term unnecessary student absence.
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Federal Alert: Ask your U.S. Senators to support emergency relief for schools; join us on Monday for NSBA federal update
This week PSBA issued a Legislative Alert asking members to contact U.S. Senators Bob Casey and Patrick Toomey to support federal legislation that will provide critical funding to school districts. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act in May to address the ongoing needs of residents during the COVID-19 crisis, and negotiations are taking place now to get the stimulus bill through the U.S. Senate. It is imperative that the final version of the HEROES Act include funds to directly benefit public schools.
 Thank you to the many school leaders who have already contacted the senators. If you have not done so yet, click the Take Action button to send a letter to the senators.
Join us on Monday! To learn more and get the latest update on federal news, join PSBA and the National School Boards Association on Monday, July 27 at 2 p.m. for a complimentary webinar titled Calling on Congress: Emergency Relief to Schools. Bring your questions! Click here for more information and to register.
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PSBA, education groups call for federal education aid package
 This week PSBA, along with seven other basic education groups, are calling for passage of a federal emergency aid package of $175 billion as part of the next round of stimulus funding to ensure Pennsylvania's K-12 school districts and colleges and universities can reopen safely this fall.
In a joint letter to U.S. Senators Bob Casey and Patrick Toomey, the groups described the extensive precautions required as districts prepare to implement instruction and health and safety plans necessary to reopen schools. Compounding the impact of the loss in revenue is the likely exodus of families choosing to enroll their students in cyber charter schools. School districts did not budget for a mass departure of students to leave their brick-and-mortar schools and will be required to pay cyber charter tuition based on the last year's budgets. This amount is projected to increase by about $200 million over FY 2019-20 before factoring in potential enrollment increases.
"Unfortunately, there is little more that school boards and state government can do to secure additional revenues. School property tax increases are capped, and additional state revenues just won't be available this year. That is why we are looking to the federal government for urgent assistance," the groups stated.
The joint letter was signed by PSBA, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA), Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU), Pennsylvania Principals Association, Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools (PARSS) and the Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Administrators (PACTA).
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Signed by the governor
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Extension of property tax payment discount periods
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PSBA supports the enactment of Senate Bill 1125 (Sen. Martin, R-Lancaster), now Act 75 of 2020. The new law allows individual school districts the option to extend their property tax discount periods and their base periods, as well as to waive penalties for payments through June 30, 2021. PSBA is appreciative of Senator Martin's willingness to work with the association on this issue. Under Act 75, for the school year that begins July 1, 2020, a school board may adopt a resolution for the extension and/or waiver of penalties. The board must then deliver the resolution to the tax collector via mail or electronic mail, and the tax collector shall, in consultation with the board, modify the contents of the late payment notice required under the Local Tax Collection Law accordingly and may send an additional notice explaining the provisions of such resolution.
The new law mirrors provisions of Act 15 of 2020 that allows counties and municipalities to provide property tax relief to taxpayers affected by the pandemic. That law gives county and municipal governments the option to extend deadlines for property tax discount rates to any date up until August 31, and waive any fee or penalty for late payments of property taxes if paid in full by the end of the year.
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Electrocardiogram testing for student athletes
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Senate Bill 836 (Sen. Regan, R-Cumberland), now Act 73 of 2020, moves the provisions of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act (Act 59 of 2012) into the Public School Code as a new section concerning sudden cardiac arrest and electrocardiogram (EKG) testing. The new law requires information on EKG testing be added to the various websites, educational literature, and training sessions required for prospective student athletes, parents and coaches. In addition, Act 73 gives families the option to request an electrocardiogram, or EKG, from their family's medical provider in addition to the standard athletic participation physical examination. The cost of the EKG testing would be paid by the parent or guardian. PSBA worked diligently with Senate leadership to ensure this legislation was not a costly mandate on schools.
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Mental health treatment for minors (age of consent)
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House Bill 672 (Rep. Ortitay, R- Allegheny), now Act 65 of 2020, clarifies that a parent or guardian has the right to consent to inpatient or outpatient mental health treatment on behalf of a minor under the age of 18 without a minor's consent. A parent cannot overturn another parent's consent on the minor's behalf, but if one of the parents with legal custody rights objects to inpatient treatment sought by the other parent, a court petition can be filed and hearing held within 72 hours. In addition, a minor placed in mental health treatment will be advised of his or her right to appeal. The law also will continue the provision of Act 147 of 2004 that allows minors age 14 and older to consent to treatment without the consent of their parent or guardian. The parent will not be able to revoke consent to treatment given by the minor.
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Federal News
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U.S. Department of Education awards $85 million for unproven voucher program
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U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos recently announced that the federal Department of Education will award at least $85 million over the next five years for the reinstatement of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (DCOSP).
The program was established by law in 2003 to provide federally funded vouchers of up to $7,500 for low-income residents of the District of Columbia to send their children to private schools. The act expired in 2009, was reauthorized in 2011 but was later defunded. However, the program was reinstated under the Trump administration.
An evaluation of the program conducted by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and released in May 2019 examined impacts on achievement and other outcomes three years after eligible students were selected or not selected to receive scholarships in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The report found that the OSP had no effect on either math or reading achievement. There were no statistically significant impacts on either reading or mathematics achievement for students in any of the study's eight subgroups. There was little evidence that the program improved school satisfaction for individual subgroups of parents or students. Overall, the program had no impact on parent involvement in education at school or at home three years after applying to the program.
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