Senate passes bill that would enable parents to hold children back
The state Senate voted 48-0 on May 12 to pass a bill that will allow parents to have their children repeat their current grade level for the 2021-22 school year due to learning disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill gives parents until July 15 to decide whether or not to allow their child to advance to the next grade.
It also will allow special education students aging out of the system at the age of 21 to enroll for an additional year in order to receive specialized instruction, including job training and life skills they missed out on because of the pandemic.
The bill was sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Bellefonte.
“This was an extraordinary year for all of us,” said Corman. “Normally these decisions are best made by the school district with the consultation of the parents. I think this year’s extraordinary year needs this type of response to allow the parents ultimately to make the final decision.
“I have been hearing concerns from many fellow parents about how COVID-19 has disrupted their child’s education and created learning gaps for students,” Corman said in a statement. “The pandemic has taught us that every child learns differently. Some students struggle with homebound education. Given the circumstances, it makes sense to give parents a stronger say in whether their kids should advance to the next grade level or repeat a grade to make up for learning loss during the pandemic.”
Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-46th District, said the bill’s passage will provide an option for parents whose children struggled amid the challenges that arose during the pandemic.
“I think it’s an excellent move for many families whose children really missed out on so much this year, to be able to decide whether or not their child should move ahead,” said Bartolotta, citing issues such as limited access to broadband internet to contributing to students falling behind.
School districts across the state have reported high failure rates throughout the school year.
Dr. Don Martin, executive director of Intermediate Unit 1, which serves schools in Greene, Washington and Fayette counties, has some concerns about the bill, including the cost for school districts for students who repeat a grade.
Martin also said he believes parents historically have been “active participants in the retention process of their children.
“I’m not saying that this is good or bad, because learning loss is serious. But I believe it’s always been a collaborative approach,” said Martin.
The bill, which moved from introduction to passage in the Senate in five days, heads to the state House of Representatives for consideration.