July 6, 2021

 

 

Dear Parents/Guardians:

 

On June 30, Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 66 of 2021 (Act 66) into law which amends the Public School Code to temporarily provide: (1) 21-year-old special education students the opportunity to extend their public school education through the end of the 2021-2022 school year and (2) parents/guardians the option to elect to have their school-aged children repeat their grade level in the 2021-2022 school year, regardless if these students satisfied the requirements to be promoted to their next grade levels. This temporary right was created by PA legislators to respond to educational opportunities lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

Please note, students 18 or older who plan to repeat a grade level during the 2021-22 school year must complete and submit their own form. For a student with a disability who turned 21 during the time periods listed above, both the parent/guardian and the student must complete the form. Forms are to be submitted to the district and/or school in which the student will attend in the 2021-22 school year - they may not be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).

 

The notification form, guidance and answers to FAQs on Act 66 of 2021 are now available on PDE’s website (Form is located to the right of the website. You need to copy and paste info in a word doc, complete and return to the principal.). If selecting this option for retention, please complete the PDE form and submit to your child’s principal. The building principal and/or school counselor will then contact you to discuss the decision.

 

Sincerely,

Pine-Richland School District