The Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU) Executive Office released its 2023 State Mandates and State Mandates Checklist documents during the week of February 13 to Berks County school districts and career and technology centers, as well as the 19 intermediate units who subscribe to this service. The 82-page State Mandates document is a compilation of mandates required of Pennsylvania’s public school districts. The State Mandates Checklist serves as a companion document providing, at a glance, required training/drills, reporting, policies/plans, and personnel to assist schools to meet the established requirements and deadlines.
At the request of the Berks County Superintendents, the State Mandates and Checklist documents were first compiled by the BCIU Executive Office team members in early 2021. The 2023 State Mandates and State Mandates Checklist editions contain revised language to offer further clarification and additional content to reflect requirements in accordance with Act 55 of 2022 as well as other acts to provide individuals with a comprehensive summary of federal, state, and local regulations and laws. Summaries of the revisions were also provided, highlighting the specific changes found in the new versions.
The documents will be shared with state legislators and BCIU’s professional partners (the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA), the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU), and others) to show the impact mandates have on public schools and to leverage advocacy efforts.
The BCIU will continue to monitor mandates and to collaborate with federal, state, and local policymakers to review the relevancy of these directives, offer input, and discuss alternatives where appropriate, including the need for additional funding or resources to comply with specific mandated regulations.
Questions regarding the State Mandates document can be directed to Mrs. Antonia Cramp, Program Administrator, Office of the Executive Director, at antcra@berksiu.org, or Dr. Jill Hackman, BCIU Executive Director, at jilhac@berksiu.org.