Text: HF00403 Text: HF00405 Text: HF00400 - HF00499 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 279.59 CLASS SIZE REDUCTION 1 2 PROGRAM. 1 3 1. There is established a class size reduction program to 1 4 provide additional funds for school districts that develop a 1 5 class size reduction plan. To be eligible for a class size 1 6 reduction payment as provided in this section, a school 1 7 district shall submit annually by April 15 to the department 1 8 of education a plan which includes, at a minimum, the goals of 1 9 reducing class size in grades one through three and 1 10 instituting professional development to assist teachers in 1 11 teaching challenging curricula more effectively, the methods 1 12 by which the district shall achieve those goals, and a process 1 13 for engaging parents, teachers, school administrators, and 1 14 students in the shared goal of raising student achievement 1 15 levels. In addition, the plan shall provide for methods for 1 16 measuring student achievement and progress. 1 17 2. a. There is appropriated from the general fund of the 1 18 state to the department of education for the fiscal year 1 19 beginning July 1, 1997, and ending June 30, 1998, the sum of 1 20 seven million five hundred thousand dollars to be used to fund 1 21 school districts that meet the requirements of subsection 1 1 22 and which limit the district's self-contained grade one 1 23 classroom sizes to an average student-to-teacher ratio of not 1 24 more than twenty students to one teacher, or the equivalent, 1 25 in a school that utilizes team teaching methods. 1 26 b. There is appropriated from the general fund of the 1 27 state to the department of education for the fiscal year 1 28 beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999, the sum of 1 29 fifteen million dollars to be used to fund school districts 1 30 that meet the requirements of subsection 1 and which limit the 1 31 self-contained grade one and grade two classroom sizes to an 1 32 average student-to-teacher ratio of not more than twenty 1 33 students to one teacher, or the equivalent, in a school that 1 34 utilizes team teaching methods. 1 35 c. There is appropriated from the general fund of the 2 1 state to the department of education for the fiscal year 2 2 beginning July 1, 1999, and ending June 30, 2000, and for 2 3 succeeding years, the sum of twenty-two million five hundred 2 4 thousand dollars to be used to fund school districts that meet 2 5 the requirements of subsection 1 and which limit the self- 2 6 contained classroom sizes in grades one through three to an 2 7 average student-to-teacher ratio of not more than twenty 2 8 students to one teacher, or the equivalent, in a school that 2 9 utilizes team teaching methods. 2 10 3. From the moneys appropriated in subsection 2 for each 2 11 fiscal year in which moneys are appropriated, the amount of 2 12 moneys allocated to school districts shall be in the 2 13 proportion that the basic enrollment for the budget year of 2 14 the grade level in the district for which the moneys are 2 15 appropriated bears to the sum of the basic enrollments for the 2 16 budget year of the grade level of all school districts in the 2 17 state qualifying for moneys under subsection 1 for the budget 2 18 year, as basic enrollment and budget year are defined in 2 19 chapter 257. 2 20 4. For each year in which an appropriation is made to the 2 21 class size reduction program, the department of education 2 22 shall notify the department of revenue and finance of the 2 23 amount to be paid to each school district based upon the 2 24 distribution plan set forth for the appropriation made 2 25 pursuant to this section. The allocation to each school 2 26 district under this section shall be made in one payment on or 2 27 about October 1 of the fiscal year for which the appropriation 2 28 is made, taking into consideration the relative budget and 2 29 cash position of the state resources. Prior to the receipt of 2 30 funds, school districts shall submit to the department of 2 31 education the plan developed in accordance with subsection 1 2 32 and that funds received under this section shall be used in 2 33 accordance with the required class size reduction plan. 2 34 5. Moneys received under this section shall not be 2 35 commingled with state aid payments made to a school district 3 1 under section 257.16 and shall be accounted for by the local 3 2 school district separately from state aid payments. 3 3 6. Payments made to school districts under this section 3 4 are miscellaneous income for purposes of chapter 257 or are 3 5 considered encumbered. Each local school district shall 3 6 maintain a separate listing for payments received and 3 7 expenditures made pursuant to this section. 3 8 Sec. 2. Section 298.2, Code 1997, is amended by adding the 3 9 following new subsection: 3 10 NEW SUBSECTION. 6. Notwithstanding subsection 1, the 3 11 regular physical plant and equipment levy may exceed the 3 12 thirty-three cent limit provided for in subsection 1 by 3 13 twenty-five cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation 3 14 in a school district if the levy is established by the board 3 15 of a school district that has developed a class size reduction 3 16 plan pursuant to section 279.59. The revenue from the levy 3 17 above the thirty-three cent limit provided for in subsection 1 3 18 shall be used for purposes of facilities-related costs 3 19 associated with reducing class size in grades one through 3 20 three. 3 21 EXPLANATION 3 22 This bill establishes a class size reduction program to 3 23 provide additional funds for school districts that submit an 3 24 annual plan to the department of education that includes, at a 3 25 minimum, the goals of reducing class size in grades one 3 26 through three and instituting professional development to 3 27 assist teachers in teaching challenging curricula more 3 28 effectively, the methods by which the district shall achieve 3 29 those goals, and a process for engaging parents, teachers, 3 30 school administrators, and students in the shared goal of 3 31 raising student achievement levels. In addition, the plan 3 32 shall provide for methods for measuring student achievement 3 33 and progress. 3 34 The bill appropriates $7.5 million for grade one in the 3 35 fiscal year beginning July 1, 1997. The bill adds grade two 4 1 and another $7.5 million in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 4 2 1998, and adds grade three and arrives at a total of $22.5 4 3 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and for 4 4 all succeeding years. The moneys allocated shall be 4 5 distributed in the proportion that the basic enrollment of the 4 6 grade level in the district for which the moneys are 4 7 appropriated bears to the sum of the basic enrollments of all 4 8 school districts in the state for that grade level qualifying 4 9 for moneys for the budget year. 4 10 Prior to receiving the funds, school districts shall submit 4 11 to the department of education the required class size 4 12 reduction plan. 4 13 Payments made to school districts under this section are 4 14 miscellaneous income for purposes of Code chapter 257 or are 4 15 considered encumbered. 4 16 The bill permits the regular physical plant and equipment 4 17 levy to exceed the current limit of 0.33 cents by 0.25 cents 4 18 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in the district for school 4 19 districts that have developed class size reduction plans 4 20 pursuant to Code section 279.59, and the additional funding 4 21 established by the board can be used for purposes of 4 22 facilities-related costs associated with reducing class size 4 23 in grades one through three. 4 24 LSB 2297YH 77 4 25 kh/jw/5.1
Text: HF00403 Text: HF00405 Text: HF00400 - HF00499 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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