House File 498 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY WILLEMS, WESSEL=KROESCHELL, FREVERT, FICKEN, STRUYK, GAYMAN, BUKTA, and THEDE Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act providing for year=round classes for kindergarten and 2 grades one through five in school districts with three 3 thousand or more students, and providing an applicability 4 date. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 2072YH 83 7 ak/rj/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256.20A YEAR=ROUND ELEMENTARY 1 2 SCHOOL CLASSES. 1 3 1. a. Notwithstanding section 279.10, relating to the 1 4 maintenance of school during an entire year, the department of 1 5 education shall direct the boards of directors of each school 1 6 district with three thousand or more students to implement at 1 7 least one year=round class each of kindergarten and grades one 1 8 through five. 1 9 b. The number of days per year that year=round classes are 1 10 in session shall equal the number of days specified for 1 11 schools in section 279.10, subsection 1. The number of 1 12 professional staffing hours shall also remain the same for 1 13 year=round teachers and staff as regular school teachers and 1 14 staff. 1 15 2. In order to implement subsection 1, school district 1 16 officials may renegotiate a master contract entered into 1 17 between the school district and a certified employee 1 18 organization for an appropriate bargaining unit determined 1 19 pursuant to chapter 20. 1 20 Sec. 2. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 1 21 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 1 22 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 1 23 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 1 24 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 1 25 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 1 26 to meet all the state funding=related requirements of section 1 27 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding shall be 1 28 necessary for the full implementation of this Act by and 1 29 enforcement of this Act against all affected school districts. 1 30 Sec. 3. APPLICABILITY DATE. This Act applies to school 1 31 years beginning on and after July 1, 2010. 1 32 EXPLANATION 1 33 This bill requires that the department of education direct 1 34 the boards of directors of each school district with 3,000 or 1 35 more students to have at least one year=round class each of 2 1 kindergarten and grades one through five. The year=round 2 2 school classes will have the same number of days as regular 2 3 schools and professional staff for year=round classes will 2 4 have the same professional staffing hour requirements. 2 5 The bill also authorizes school districts to renegotiate a 2 6 master contract entered into between the district and a 2 7 certified employee organization for a bargaining unit as 2 8 necessary to implement the year=round classes. 2 9 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 2 10 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of any 2 11 state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 2 12 district from state school foundation aid received by the 2 13 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification 2 14 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state 2 15 mandate funding=related requirements of Code section 25B.2. 2 16 The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate 2 17 the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any 2 18 state mandates included in the bill. 2 19 The bill applies to school years beginning on and after 2 20 July 1, 2010. 2 21 LSB 2072YH 83 2 22 ak/rj/5.1