A bill that would mandate the Pennsylvania School Boards Association be bound by the state’s right-to-know law passed the state Senate early last week, and we hope the House of Representatives passes it as well.

Senate Bill 1138, which passed 28-22 on Monday, expands the definition of a state-affiliated entity to specifically include the school boards association. The association bills itself as the nation’s oldest group dedicated to training and supporting members of local school boards.

State Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York, introduced the bill and has argued the reclassification makes sense, particularly in light of a February state Supreme Court decision that ruled the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association is subject to the right-to-know law because it receives tax money from school districts.

The school board association, which is a private, nonprofit organization, has staff members who receive the same benefits as public schoolteachers through Public School Employees’ Retirement System.

“Phillips-Hall contends that this affiliation justifies subjecting the association to the same transparency requirements as public entities,” state Senate Republicans wrote in a news release announcing the passage of the bill in the Senate.

Given the decision on the PIAA, the fact the association participates in the state pension system and the fact the PBSA offers both policy and legal support to school districts, the reclassification makes sense.

Organizations that receive taxpayer money and those involved in shaping public policy should always be required to be transparent about their actions. Using the state’s right-to-know law to enforce that is the right choice.

— JK