Section 53.26. Teaching load

(a) Each class of children shall be headed by a teacher certified under § 53.21 (relating to teachers).

(b) There shall be a minimum of two adults present and available at all times when children are present at a school. Children may not be left unattended, indoors or outdoors, at any time.

(c) Classes may be organized to have separate or mixed age groupings. A school may group nursery and kindergarten ages 3, 4 and 5 together when the school’s methodology, instructional materials and staff training are appropriate to the grouping.

(d) A school which has separate classes for ages 3, 4 and 5, which group ages 3 and 4 together or which group ages 3, 4 and 5 together shall follow the pupil-teacher ratios identified in the following chart.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Teacher, assistant teacher, aides	Number of Pupils
Age Groupings	3	4	5	3 & 4	3,4,5
Director or teacher	12	17	22	15	20
Director or teacher and one aide	17	21	27	19	26
Director or teacher and assistant teacher or two aides	22	25	30	23	28

(e) Exception to pupil-teacher ratios may be granted by the Board upon written request.

The provisions of this § 53.26 adopted June 11, 1968, effective June 26, 1969; amended October 22, 1976, effective October 23, 1976, 6 Pa.B. 2665; amended August 26, 1988, effective August 27, 1988, 18 Pa.B. 3805. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (30556).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 53.26 amended under the Private Academic Schools Act (24 P. S. § § 6701—6721).