Pa. lawmakers approve a bill that lets students repeat a year because of COVID-19

HARRISBURG — Lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to legislation that would let parents decide whether to have their children repeat a year of school, a measure designed to help children catch up after the disruption of the pandemic.

The Senate voted 50-0 for the proposal, which would also permit special education students to return for another year, even if they have reached the maximum age of 21.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has not taken a stand for or against the bill, although his office said Thursday there are concerns about how it might affect schools’ finances, staffing, and programming.

“We will review the bill when it gets to the desk,” Wolf spokesperson Lyndsay Kensinger said.

Under the bill, parents would have to decide by July 15 whether their child should repeat a grade. Students would be able to participate in extracurricular activities, but they would not get another year of eligibility to play sports if they have already maxed out.

Students who have reached age 18 would be able to make their own decision about whether to repeat a year.

“Some students have struggled, and it makes sense to give parents a stronger say in whether their child should advance to the next grade level or repeat a grade to make up for learning loss,” said the bill’s sponsor, Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R., Centre).