Should Kids Get To Repeat COVID School Year? Montco Rep Says Yes

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A local legislator is at the front of an effort to enable students whose learning suffered during the COVID-19 shutdown to repeat a year of schooling.

The proposed Senate Bill 664 would allow parents to make the decision on whether or not their child should advance to the next grade level. The bill has passed through the Senate and will now head to Gov. Tom Wolf's desk.

"In current practice, the decision on whether to hold a student back is made solely by the child’s school and teacher," State Sen. Bob Mensch (R-24), who covers parts of Montgomery and Bucks counties, said in a statement. "The bill would only apply to the 2021-22 school year to address learning gaps related to the pandemic."

Parents would have just a few more weeks, until July 15, to make the call.

In addition, the bill would offer a provision prevent special needs students from aging out of the system at 21, noting that they were especially hard hit by the lack of specialized attention during the pandemic.

Eligibility for programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act would also be extended into next school year.

Gov. Wolf has 10 days to make a decision on the bill.