Senate File 2223 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2223 BY CHELGREN A BILL FOR An Act providing for consolidation of area education agencies. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 6001XS (2) 87 je/jh
S.F. 2223 Section 1. Section 273.23, subsection 1, Code 2018, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. A petition filed under section 273.21 or a reorganization 3 plan submitted in compliance with section 273.21A shall state 4 the number of directors on the initial board which shall be 5 either seven or nine directors. The petition or plan shall 6 specify the number of directors to be retained from each area, 7 and those numbers shall be proportionate to the populations 8 of the agencies. If the proportionate balance of directors 9 among the affected agencies specified in the petition or plan 10 is affected by school districts petitioning to be excluded 11 from the reorganization, or if the proposal specified in the 12 plan does not comply with the requirement for proportionate 13 representation, the state board shall modify the proposal. 14 However, all area education agencies affected shall retain at 15 least one member. 16 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 273.21A Consolidation of area 17 education agencies. 18 On and after July 1, 2019, the number of area education 19 agencies shall not exceed five. Area education agencies shall 20 reorganize as necessary to implement this requirement. Area 21 education agencies engaging in such reorganization shall be 22 contiguous. Sections 273.22 and 273.23 shall apply to such 23 reorganizations. 24 Sec. 3. IMPLEMENTATION. Area education agencies engaging 25 in initial reorganization pursuant to section 273.21A, as 26 enacted by this Act, shall complete the procedures described 27 in section 273.21, subsection 3, paragraphs “a” through 28 “g”. However, reorganization plans shall be submitted to 29 the state board no later than January 1, 2019. The state 30 board shall review a reorganization plan and shall, prior to 31 March 15, 2019, either approve the plan as submitted, approve 32 the plan contingent upon compliance with the state board’s 33 recommendations, or disapprove the plan. A contingently 34 approved plan shall be resubmitted with modifications to the 35 -1- LSB 6001XS (2) 87 je/jh 1/ 2
S.F. 2223 department not later than May 1, 2019. If one or more area 1 education agencies do not timely submit a reorganization plan, 2 the department of education shall, in consultation with such 3 agencies, prepare and approve a reorganization plan for such 4 agencies. An approved plan shall take effect on July 1, 2019. 5 EXPLANATION 6 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 7 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 8 This bill provides that the number of area education 9 agencies shall not exceed five on and after July 1, 2019. 10 There are currently nine area education agencies. The bill 11 requires area education agencies to reorganize as necessary to 12 implement this requirement and specifies that area education 13 agencies engaging in such reorganization shall be contiguous. 14 The bill provides that Code sections 273.22 and 273.23, 15 relating to the terms of employment of area education agency 16 employees and the organization of initial area education agency 17 boards, apply to such reorganizations. 18 The bill provides a timeline for the implementation of 19 reorganization of area education agencies by July 1, 2019. 20 -2- LSB 6001XS (2) 87 je/jh 2/ 2