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Senate File 258 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1providing for boards of directors of school districts to
2include nonvoting student representatives.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2023, is amended by adding
2the following new subsection:
3 NEW SUBSECTION. 66. Develop and distribute to all school
4districts a model program for the effective incorporation of
5a student who is appointed to serve on the board of directors
6of a school district as a nonvoting student representative
7pursuant to section 279.4A. The model program shall include
8suggested methods for an application and selection process for
9the position of nonvoting student representative.
10 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 279.4A Nonvoting student
11representative.
121. The board of directors of each school district shall
13appoint at least one nonvoting student representative to serve
14on the board of directors for a term of one year if the student
15is enrolled in grade eleven or for a term of two years if the
16student is enrolled in grade ten. The board of directors of
17a school district shall develop an application and selection
18process based on the model program developed pursuant to
19section 256.9, subsection 66.
202. A nonvoting student representative shall have a seat
21at the table of all board meetings and board subcommittee
22meetings, shall have access to all nonconfidential board
23meeting materials, and shall be allowed to participate in any
24orientation provided to administrators or members of the board
25of directors.
263. A nonvoting student representative may advocate
27for student interests in board meetings, provide school
28administrators and board members with student viewpoints,
29assist in developing and monitoring the implementation of
30education policy, and volunteer to perform other functions of
31benefit to the students and the school district that the board
32deems appropriate for the nonvoting student representative to
33carry out.
344. Students enrolled in a school district in either grade
35ten or eleven may apply to the board of directors of the school
-1-1district to serve as a nonvoting student representative.
25. A vacancy in the position of a nonvoting student
3representative shall not be filled until the expiration of the
4nonvoting student representative’s term.
56. The board of directors of a school district shall notify
6the parents or guardians of a nonvoting student representative
7if the nonvoting student representative’s grade point average
8falls during the period in which the nonvoting student
9representative serves on the board of directors of the school
10district.
117. A nonvoting student representative shall have been
12enrolled in the school district for at least one year prior to
13the student representative’s appointment.
14EXPLANATION
15The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
16the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
17This bill provides for boards of directors of school
18districts to include nonvoting student representatives.
19The bill requires the board of directors of each
20school district to appoint at least one nonvoting student
21representative to serve on the board for a term of one year if
22the student is enrolled in grade 11 or for a term of two years
23if the student is enrolled in grade 10. The bill also requires
24the board to develop an application and selection process for
25the nonvoting student representative that is based on a model
26program the bill requires the director of the department of
27education to develop.
28The bill provides that a nonvoting student representative
29shall have a seat at the table of all board meetings and board
30subcommittee meetings, have access to all nonconfidential
31board meeting materials, and be allowed to participate
32in any orientation provided to administrators or members
33of the board. The bill authorizes a nonvoting student
34representative to advocate for student interests in board
35meetings, provide school administrators and board members with
-2-1student viewpoints, assist in developing and monitoring the
2implementation of education policy, and volunteer to perform
3other functions of benefit to the students and the school
4district.
5The bill provides that students enrolled in a school
6district in either grade 10 or 11 may apply to the board to
7serve as a nonvoting student representative. Additionally, the
8bill provides that a vacancy in the position of a nonvoting
9student representative shall not be filled until the expiration
10of the nonvoting student representative’s term.
11The bill requires the board to notify the parents or
12guardians of a nonvoting student representative if the
13nonvoting student representative’s grade point average falls
14during the period in which the nonvoting student representative
15serves on the board.
16The bill provides that a nonvoting student representative
17shall have been enrolled in the school district for at least
18one year prior to the student representative’s appointment.
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2include nonvoting student representatives.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2023, is amended by adding
2the following new subsection:
3 NEW SUBSECTION. 66. Develop and distribute to all school
4districts a model program for the effective incorporation of
5a student who is appointed to serve on the board of directors
6of a school district as a nonvoting student representative
7pursuant to section 279.4A. The model program shall include
8suggested methods for an application and selection process for
9the position of nonvoting student representative.
10 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 279.4A Nonvoting student
11representative.
121. The board of directors of each school district shall
13appoint at least one nonvoting student representative to serve
14on the board of directors for a term of one year if the student
15is enrolled in grade eleven or for a term of two years if the
16student is enrolled in grade ten. The board of directors of
17a school district shall develop an application and selection
18process based on the model program developed pursuant to
19section 256.9, subsection 66.
202. A nonvoting student representative shall have a seat
21at the table of all board meetings and board subcommittee
22meetings, shall have access to all nonconfidential board
23meeting materials, and shall be allowed to participate in any
24orientation provided to administrators or members of the board
25of directors.
263. A nonvoting student representative may advocate
27for student interests in board meetings, provide school
28administrators and board members with student viewpoints,
29assist in developing and monitoring the implementation of
30education policy, and volunteer to perform other functions of
31benefit to the students and the school district that the board
32deems appropriate for the nonvoting student representative to
33carry out.
344. Students enrolled in a school district in either grade
35ten or eleven may apply to the board of directors of the school
-1-1district to serve as a nonvoting student representative.
25. A vacancy in the position of a nonvoting student
3representative shall not be filled until the expiration of the
4nonvoting student representative’s term.
56. The board of directors of a school district shall notify
6the parents or guardians of a nonvoting student representative
7if the nonvoting student representative’s grade point average
8falls during the period in which the nonvoting student
9representative serves on the board of directors of the school
10district.
117. A nonvoting student representative shall have been
12enrolled in the school district for at least one year prior to
13the student representative’s appointment.
14EXPLANATION
15The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
16the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
17This bill provides for boards of directors of school
18districts to include nonvoting student representatives.
19The bill requires the board of directors of each
20school district to appoint at least one nonvoting student
21representative to serve on the board for a term of one year if
22the student is enrolled in grade 11 or for a term of two years
23if the student is enrolled in grade 10. The bill also requires
24the board to develop an application and selection process for
25the nonvoting student representative that is based on a model
26program the bill requires the director of the department of
27education to develop.
28The bill provides that a nonvoting student representative
29shall have a seat at the table of all board meetings and board
30subcommittee meetings, have access to all nonconfidential
31board meeting materials, and be allowed to participate
32in any orientation provided to administrators or members
33of the board. The bill authorizes a nonvoting student
34representative to advocate for student interests in board
35meetings, provide school administrators and board members with
-2-1student viewpoints, assist in developing and monitoring the
2implementation of education policy, and volunteer to perform
3other functions of benefit to the students and the school
4district.
5The bill provides that students enrolled in a school
6district in either grade 10 or 11 may apply to the board to
7serve as a nonvoting student representative. Additionally, the
8bill provides that a vacancy in the position of a nonvoting
9student representative shall not be filled until the expiration
10of the nonvoting student representative’s term.
11The bill requires the board to notify the parents or
12guardians of a nonvoting student representative if the
13nonvoting student representative’s grade point average falls
14during the period in which the nonvoting student representative
15serves on the board.
16The bill provides that a nonvoting student representative
17shall have been enrolled in the school district for at least
18one year prior to the student representative’s appointment.
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