On June 30, 2021, Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 66 of 2021 (Act 66) into law. This Act permits the following for the 2021-2022 school year:
- A student who was enrolled during the 2020-2021 school year may repeat their grade level in an effort to make up for any lost educational opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, even if the student met the requirements to be promoted to the next grade; and
- A student with a disability who was enrolled during the 2020-2021 school year and turned age 21 (either during the 2020-2021 school year or between the end of the 2020-2021 and the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year) may attend school during the 2021-2022 school year and receive services as outlined in their most recent Individualized Education Program (IEP) with all the protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
District Promotion and Retention Guidelines
As outlined in Board Policy 215 Promotion and Retention, “The Board recognizes that the emotional, social, physical, and educational development of students will vary and that students should be placed in the educational setting most appropriate to their needs.” Recommendations regarding retention are never made lightly and final decisions regarding whether a child should repeat a grade require a collaborative process that includes the child, their parents, principal, teachers, counselor, and District administration.
If you have not already spoken with your child’s principal and have concerns about your child’s progress last school year, we encourage you to reach out to them prior to submitting the Retainment Notification Form (available as an attachment below). Principal email addresses can be found on the District
website’s contact us page.
To learn more about the District’s Promotion and Retention guidelines, please refer to Board Policy 215 (
click here to view).