House File 2189 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2189 BY MASCHER A BILL FOR An Act directing school districts to prioritize resources in 1 order to meet the goal of increasing the minimum days or 2 hours of instructional time offered in a school year. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5781HH (3) 83 kh/nh
H.F. 2189 Section 1. Section 279.10, subsection 1, Code 2009, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. a. The school year shall begin on the first day of July 3 and each regularly established elementary and secondary school 4 shall begin no sooner than a day during the calendar week 5 in which the first day of September falls but no later than 6 the first Monday in December. However, if the first day of 7 September falls on a Sunday, school may begin on a day during 8 the calendar week which immediately precedes the first day of 9 September. School shall continue for at least one hundred 10 eighty days, except as provided in subsection 3, and may be 11 maintained during the entire calendar year. However, if the 12 board of directors of a district extends the school calendar 13 because inclement weather caused the district to temporarily 14 close school during the regular school calendar, the district 15 may excuse a graduating senior who has met district or school 16 requirements for graduation from attendance during the extended 17 school calendar. A school corporation may begin employment 18 of personnel for in-service training and development purposes 19 before the date to begin elementary and secondary school. 20 b. The board of directors of a school district shall 21 prioritize the allocation of federal, state, and local moneys 22 appropriated or levied and other resources available for the 23 purposes of extending the school calendar or the instructional 24 hours in a school day, including but not limited to federal 25 race to the top fund moneys available from the United States 26 department of education under the federal American Recovery 27 and Reinvestment Act of 2009, state appropriations and state 28 foundation aid, and local instructional support program 29 revenues. The primary goal of school districts shall be to 30 increase the instructional time required pursuant to this 31 subsection or the instructional hours in a day for purposes 32 that include but are not limited to closing the achievement gap 33 and turning around persistently lowest-achieving schools. 34 -1- LSB 5781HH (3) 83 kh/nh 1/ 2
H.F. 2189 EXPLANATION 1 This bill directs the boards of directors of school 2 districts to prioritize the allocation of federal, state, 3 and local moneys appropriated or levied and other resources 4 available for the purposes of extending the school calendar 5 or the instructional hours in a school day, including but 6 not limited to federal race to the top fund moneys available 7 from the United States department of education under the 8 federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, 9 state appropriations and state foundation aid, and local 10 instructional support program revenues. The bill provides 11 that the primary goal of school districts shall be to increase 12 the number of days in the school calendar or the instructional 13 hours in a day for purposes that include but are not limited 14 to closing the achievement gap and turning around persistently 15 lowest-achieving schools. 16 -2- LSB 5781HH (3) 83 kh/nh 2/ 2