SSB 3072 (LSB 5420XC (2) 90)

SENATE FILE _____ 

BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON ROZENBOOM)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to participation in school activities by students enrolled in charter schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  256E.13  Students receiving instruction over the internet —— participation in activities in district of residence.
   A student enrolled in a charter school who receives educational instruction and course content primarily over the internet may participate in any cocurricular or extracurricular activities offered to children in the student’s grade or group and sponsored by the district of residence under the same conditions and requirements as the students enrolled in the district of residence. The student may participate in not more than two cocurricular or extracurricular activities during a school year unless the resident district approves the student’s participation in additional activities. The student shall comply with the eligibility, conduct, and other requirements relating to the activity that are established by the district of residence for any student who applies to participate or who is participating in the activity.
    Sec. 2.  Section 280.13A, subsection 1, Code 2024, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  If a school district, or nonpublic school, or charter school operating under section 256E.5 does not provide an interscholastic activity for its students, the board of directors of that school district, or the authorities in charge of the nonpublic school, or governing board of the charter school may complete an agreement with another school district, or nonpublic school, or charter school operating under section 256E.5 to provide for the eligibility of its students in interscholastic activities provided by that other school district, or nonpublic school, or charter school. A copy of each agreement completed under this section shall be filed with the appropriate organization as organization is defined in section 280.13 not later than April 30 of the school year preceding the school year in which the agreement takes effect, unless an exception is granted by the organization for good cause. An agreement completed under this section shall be deemed approved unless denied by the organization within ten days after its receipt. The organization shall determine whether an agreement would substantially prejudice the interscholastic activities of other schools. An agreement denied by the organization under this section may be appealed to the state board of education under chapter 290.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill authorizes a student enrolled in a charter school under Code chapter 256E who receives educational instruction and course content primarily over the internet to participate in any cocurricular or extracurricular activities offered to children in the student’s grade or group and sponsored by the district of residence under the same conditions and requirements as students enrolled in the district of residence. The student shall comply with applicable eligibility, conduct, and other requirements established by the district of residence.
   The bill authorizes a charter school operating under the founding group-state board model to complete an agreement with a school district, public school, or other charter school operating under the founding-group-state board model providing for student eligibility for interscholastic activities not provided by the charter school but provided by the other school. Existing procedures applicable to such agreements are applicable to agreements authorized by the bill.