Senate File 76 - Introduced
SENATE FILE
BY JOHNSON, KETTERING, KAPUCIAN,
REYNOLDS, WARD, McKINLEY,
BOETTGER, WIECK, SEYMOUR,
FEENSTRA, HAHN, and HOUSER
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to early school starts and providing effective
2 and applicability dates.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 1289XS 83
5 kh/rj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 257.17, Code 2009, is amended to read
1 2 as follows:
1 3 257.17 AID REDUCTION FOR EARLY SCHOOL STARTS.
1 4 State aid payments made pursuant to section 257.16 for a
1 5 fiscal year shall be reduced by one one=hundred=eightieth for
1 6 each day of that fiscal year for which the school district
1 7 begins school before the earliest starting date specified in
1 8 section 279.10, subsection 1. However, this section does not
1 9 apply to a school district that has received approval for a
1 10 pilot program for an innovative school year from the director
1 11 of the department of education under section 279.10,
1 12 subsection 4, to commence classes for regularly established
1 13 elementary and secondary schools in advance of the starting
1 14 date established in section 279.10, subsection 1 3.
1 15 Sec. 2. Section 279.10, subsection 1, Code 2009, is
1 16 amended to read as follows:
1 17 1. The school year shall begin on the first day of July
1 18 and each regularly established elementary and secondary school
1 19 shall begin no sooner than a day during the calendar week in
1 20 which the first day of September falls August 25 but no later
1 21 than the first Monday in December unless the school district
1 22 has received approval from the department of education for a
1 23 pilot program in accordance with subsection 3. However, if
1 24 the first day of September falls on a Sunday, school may begin
1 25 on a day during the calendar week which immediately precedes
1 26 the first day of September. School shall continue for at
1 27 least one hundred eighty days, except as provided in
1 28 subsection 3, and may be maintained during the entire calendar
1 29 year. However, if the board of directors of a district
1 30 extends the school calendar because inclement weather caused
1 31 the district to temporarily close school during the regular
1 32 school calendar, the district may excuse a graduating senior
1 33 who has met district or school requirements for graduation
1 34 from attendance during the extended school calendar. A school
1 35 corporation may begin employment of personnel for in=service
2 1 training and development purposes before the date to begin
2 2 elementary and secondary school.
2 3 Sec. 3. Section 279.10, subsection 2, Code 2009, is
2 4 amended to read as follows:
2 5 2. The board of directors shall hold a public hearing on
2 6 any proposal request made pursuant to subsection 3 prior to
2 7 submitting it to the department of education for approval.
2 8 Sec. 4. Section 279.10, subsection 4, Code 2009, is
2 9 amended by striking the subsection.
2 10 Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATES. The section of this Act that
2 11 amends section 279.10, subsection 2, being deemed of immediate
2 12 importance, takes effect upon enactment and the remainder of
2 13 this Act takes effect July 1, 2010, and is applicable for
2 14 school years beginning on or after that date.
2 15 EXPLANATION
2 16 This bill changes, effective for the school year beginning
2 17 July 1, 2010, the earliest school start date to August 25 and
2 18 eliminates the authority of the director of the department of
2 19 education to grant a request made by a board of directors of a
2 20 school district to commence classes prior to the earliest
2 21 starting date allowed, which currently is no sooner than a day
2 22 during the calendar week in which the first day of September
2 23 falls or, if the first day of September falls on a Sunday, a
2 24 day during the prior week.
2 25 The bill makes a conforming change to eliminate an
2 26 exemption from aid reduction for early school starts, unless
2 27 the exemption is for a school district approved to implement
2 28 an innovative school year. Without the waiver, the school
2 29 district's state aid payments are reduced by 1/180 for each
2 30 day of that fiscal year for which the school district begins
2 31 school before the earliest starting date allowed. The bill
2 32 includes a technical correction that takes effect upon
2 33 enactment.
2 34 LSB 1289XS 83
2 35 kh/rj/5