Effective January 2026, Act 44 (Section 1303.2-A of the Pennsylvania School Code) mandates that all school entities, including school districts, charter schools, and private schools, provide direct notification to parents, guardians, and employees when a weapon is found on school property.

Key Requirements of the Law

Under This New Legislation, the District is Required to:

Notify within 24 Hours

A notification must be sent as soon as practicable, but no later than 24 hours after a weapon incident occurs.

Broad Coverage

The requirement applies to incidents on school grounds, during school-sponsored activities (even off-campus), and on school-provided transportation.

Notification Scope

If an incident occurs in a specific building, the district must notify everyone assigned to that building. If a building shares a campus with others, notification must extend to the entire campus.

Protect Privacy

By law, these notifications cannot contain personally identifiable information about any student involved.

What This Means for Our Families

Act 44 Removes District Discretion

The district must now issue a notification for any item defined as a weapon under state law (including knives, cutting tools, firearms, and other instruments capable of inflicting injury), regardless of the student's intent or whether a threat assessment determined there was no active danger. 

It is important to understand that this law will result in more frequent notifications than in previous years. In the past, to avoid causing undue worry for families and the community, districts often exercised discretion in cases of unintentional possession, such as a student forgetting a small utility item in a backpack after a weekend activity or a cutting utensil being placed in a student’s lunchbox. In these instances, there was no malicious intent, and students and staff were safe. Moving forward, however, those instances must now be communicated to families. 

How You Can Help

We ask for your partnership in maintaining a safe environment by:

Checking Belongings

Regularly check your student's backpack, sports bags, and jackets to ensure prohibited items are not brought to school.

Reporting Concerns

Continue to use the Safe2Say Something program (1-844-723-2729) or notify a school official immediately if you have safety concerns.

Updating Contact Info

Please ensure your contact information is up to date in PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger so you can receive these timely notifications.

Thank you for your continued support as we work to comply with these new state requirements and keep our school community safe.