Co-Sponsorship Memo Details

In the near future I plan to introduce legislation that would prohibit public school athletic coaches and activity leaders from being compensated, with taxpayer dollars, for services not rendered.

When schools were shut down by Governor Tom Wolf due to COVID-19, athletic staff and activity leaders were fully compensated because school districts were contractually obligated to pay them.
According to my legislation, prospective contracts entered into between a school board and a teacher, professional employee, or other individuals shall contain a provision that prohibits supplemental payment if the athletic season/activity is canceled in whole, or restricts payment on a pro-rata basis if the season/activity ends prematurely for:

• services as a coach or member of the coaching staff of an athletic team, and
• for services as a leader or advisor of an organization, club, society or group of the members of any class or school, that is not part of classroom instruction.

As fiscal stewards of taxpayer funds it is the responsibility of the General Assembly to ensure that those funds are spent appropriately and that public schools are provided the ability to reallocate those funds if necessary.

This legislation would NOT affect the salaries of teachers. Rather, these additional duties are supplemental income and if the services are not provided the taxpayers should not be expected for them.

Please join me in cosponsoring this legislation.