Legal Insights

Yesterday, Governor Wolf and Secretary Levine issued a series of new COVID mitigation orders designed to combat the continued spread of the virus.  Most importantly for school districts, the Governor…

The Pennsylvania Legislature recently passed two bills, House Bill Number 703 and Senate Bill Number 530, by overwhelming majorities and it is anticipated that Governor Wolf will sign both of…

Due to the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, Schools, Municipalities and other public bodies have been faced with challenging circumstances as to maintaining compliance with…

Yesterday, Governor Wolf and Dr. Levine issued amendments to their July 15, 2020 targeted mitigation orders modifying capacity restrictions for indoor and outdoor gatherings.  These modified capacity restrictions replace the…

On September 29, 2020, the United States Department of Education released additional guidance, in the form of a question and answer sheet, regarding the responsibilities of school districts in maintaining…

Does virtual learning count as a school closure for purposes of FFCRA leave? Yes. The Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance confirming that when the physical location of a school…

When do the new regulations become effective? * The regulations are set to become effective on August 14, 2020. *The Pennsylvania Attorney General and 14 other states attorney generals filed…

On June 30, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued its opinion in the case of B.L. v. Mahanoy Area School District.  In this case,…

On July 1st, 2020 the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health issued a new order expanding the existing mask wearing requirements of the state.  While this was reported as requiring that masks…

As School Districts make progress in developing plans for re-opening their school buildings and delivering education services to students at the beginning of the new school term in late August,…