PA HB774

Newly elected or appointed school directors must complete a minimum 14-hour training program during their first year, covering instruction, trauma-informed approaches (minimum 1 hour), personnel, fiscal management, operations, governance, and ethics/open meetings requirements.

All school directors must complete 4 hours of annual advanced training after their first year, covering updates to Federal and State school law, fiscal management, and trauma-informed approaches.

Newly appointed charter school trustees must complete the same 14-hour initial training within their first year, plus additional content on Article XVII-A (charter school law), with 4 hours of annual advanced training thereafter.

The Department of Education must provide all required training at no cost to school districts, charter schools, directors, or trustees, and must approve and publicly post alternative training programs from districts, intermediate units, postsecondary institutions, or statewide education organizations.

New training requirements take effect for the 2026-2027 school year, with the act becoming effective 60 days after enactment.