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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