Text: HF02457 Text: HF02459 Text: HF02400 - HF02499 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256D.1 LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND 1 2 INTENT. 1 3 The general assembly finds that early childhood education 1 4 programs provide benefits in the areas of economic 1 5 development, education, workforce preparation, health costs, 1 6 welfare costs, and juvenile justice. The general assembly 1 7 further finds that it is in the best interest of the state to 1 8 encourage and equitably fund early childhood education 1 9 programs in the public school districts. The goal of these 1 10 programs shall be, at a minimum, to produce children who are 1 11 self-confident and trusting, intellectually inquisitive, able 1 12 to use language to communicate, physically and mentally 1 13 healthy, able to relate well to others, and empathetic to 1 14 others. Toward that goal, it is the intent of this chapter to 1 15 establish and fund an early childhood education imperatives 1 16 program. 1 17 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 256D.2 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION 1 18 IMPERATIVES PROGRAM APPROPRIATION. 1 19 1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the 1 20 state to the department of education for the fiscal year 1 21 beginning July 1, 1998, and for each succeeding fiscal year, 1 22 the sum of nine million dollars for the early childhood 1 23 education imperatives program. 1 24 2. For each fiscal year for which moneys are appropriated 1 25 in subsection 1, the amount of moneys allocated to school 1 26 districts shall be in the proportion that the basic 1 27 kindergarten through grade three enrollment of a district 1 28 bears to the sum of the basic kindergarten through grade three 1 29 enrollments of all school districts in the state for the 1 30 budget year. However, except as provided in subsection 7, a 1 31 district shall not receive less than seven thousand five 1 32 hundred dollars in a fiscal year. The Iowa braille and sight 1 33 saving school, the state school for the deaf, and the Price 1 34 laboratory school at the university of northern Iowa shall 1 35 annually certify their basic kindergarten through grade three 2 1 enrollments to the department of education by October 1. The 2 2 department of human services shall certify the average student 2 3 yearly kindergarten through grade three enrollments of the 2 4 institutions under the control of the department of human 2 5 services enumerated in section 218.1, subsections 1 through 3, 2 6 5, 7, and 8, to the department of education by October 1. 2 7 3. For each year for which an appropriation is made to the 2 8 early childhood education imperatives program, the department 2 9 of education shall notify the department of revenue and 2 10 finance of the amount to be paid to each school district based 2 11 upon the distribution plan set forth for the appropriation 2 12 made pursuant to this section. The allocation to each school 2 13 district under this section shall be made in one payment on or 2 14 about October 15 of the fiscal year for which the 2 15 appropriation is made, taking into consideration the relative 2 16 budget and cash position of the state resources. Prior to the 2 17 receipt of moneys, school districts shall provide to the 2 18 department of education adequate assurance that they have 2 19 developed or are developing an early childhood education plan 2 20 as required by section 256D.3 and that moneys received under 2 21 this section will be used in accordance with the required 2 22 early childhood education plan. 2 23 4. Moneys received under this section shall not be 2 24 commingled with state aid payments made under sections 257.16 2 25 to a school district and shall be accounted for by the school 2 26 district separately from state aid payments. 2 27 5. Payments made to school districts under this section 2 28 are miscellaneous income for purposes of chapter 257 or are 2 29 considered encumbered. Each school district shall maintain a 2 30 separate listing within their budgets for payments received 2 31 and expenditures made pursuant to this section. 2 32 6. Moneys received under this section shall not be used 2 33 for payment of any collective bargaining agreement or 2 34 arbitrator's decision negotiated or awarded under chapter 20. 2 35 7. For purposes of this chapter, "school district" means a 3 1 school district, the Iowa braille and sight saving school, the 3 2 state school for the deaf, the Price laboratory school at the 3 3 university of northern Iowa, and the institutions under the 3 4 control of the department of human services enumerated in 3 5 section 218.1, subsections 1 through 3, 5, 7, and 8. However, 3 6 notwithstanding subsection 2, the amount of moneys allocated 3 7 to the institutions under the control of the department of 3 8 human services enumerated in section 218.1, subsections 1, 2, 3 9 3, and 5, shall be a total of not more than twenty-two 3 10 thousand five hundred dollars for each fiscal year, to be 3 11 distributed proportionately among the four institutions by the 3 12 department of education. 3 13 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 256D.3 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION 3 14 IMPERATIVES PROGRAM PLANNING. 3 15 1. Prior to receiving moneys under this chapter, the board 3 16 of directors of a school district shall adopt an initial early 3 17 childhood education plan that supports early childhood 3 18 education efforts and includes an evaluation component. The 3 19 plan shall be developed by licensed professional staff of the 3 20 district, including both teachers and administrators. The 3 21 plan shall, at a minimum, focus on preparing children to 3 22 attain or surpass student achievement goals identified 3 23 pursuant to sections 280.12 and 280.18. The initial plan 3 24 shall be amended or adopted anew at least once every five 3 25 years. The early childhood education plan shall be kept on 3 26 file in the district and a copy of the initial plan, 3 27 subsequent amendments to the plan, and copies of subsequent 3 28 plans adopted shall be sent to the appropriate area education 3 29 agency and the department of education. Progress as 3 30 determined by the school district, but including progress in 3 31 preparing children to attain or surpass student achievement 3 32 goals, shall be included as part of the annual report 3 33 submitted to the department of education in compliance with 3 34 sections 280.12 and 280.18. 3 35 2. Prior to receiving moneys under this chapter, the Iowa 4 1 braille and sight saving school, the state school for the 4 2 deaf, and the Price laboratory school at the university of 4 3 northern Iowa shall each develop an initial early childhood 4 4 education plan that prepares, or supports and improves, 4 5 student achievement and includes an evaluation component. The 4 6 initial plan shall be amended or adopted anew at least once 4 7 every five years, and a copy of the initial plan, subsequent 4 8 amendments to the plan, and copies of subsequent plans adopted 4 9 shall be sent to the state board of regents and the department 4 10 of education. An annual progress report, describing progress 4 11 in attaining student achievement goals, shall be submitted to 4 12 the state board of regents and the department of education. 4 13 3. The institutions under the control of the department of 4 14 human services enumerated in section 218.1, subsections 1 4 15 through 3, 5, 7, and 8, shall each develop an initial early 4 16 childhood education plan that prepares a child for, or 4 17 supports and improves, student achievement and includes an 4 18 evaluation component. Each institution shall send a copy of 4 19 the initial plan, subsequent amendments to the plan, and 4 20 copies of subsequent plans adopted to the departments of human 4 21 services and education. Each institution shall submit an 4 22 annual progress report, describing progress in attaining 4 23 student achievement goals, to the departments of human 4 24 services and education. 4 25 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 256D.4 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION 4 26 IMPERATIVES PROGRAM EXPENDITURES. 4 27 School districts, as defined in section 256D.2, subsection 4 28 7, shall expend funds received pursuant to section 256D.2 to 4 29 support education practices, programs, or assistance for 4 30 kindergarten through grade three that include, but are not 4 31 limited to, the following: reducing adult to student ratios 4 32 through the hiring of teachers and adult teaching assistants; 4 33 reading instruction in phonics; volunteer coordinator 4 34 programs; implementation of instructional programs designed to 4 35 improve student achievement in the areas of reading, language 5 1 arts, and mathematics; parental involvement programs; and 5 2 contributions toward implementation of an extended school day 5 3 or year program. 5 4 EXPLANATION 5 5 This bill establishes an early childhood education 5 6 imperatives program and funds the program with an annual 5 7 appropriation of $9 million from the state general fund to the 5 8 department of education. 5 9 The general assembly finds, according to the bill, that 5 10 early childhood education programs benefit society and that it 5 11 is in the best interest of the state to encourage and 5 12 equitably fund early childhood education programs in public 5 13 school districts. The bill defines the goals of an eligible 5 14 early childhood education program and lists the components of 5 15 developmentally appropriate early childhood education 5 16 practices, programs, and assistance for kindergarten through 5 17 grade three that qualify for state funding. 5 18 The bill provides for a kindergarten through grade three 5 19 per pupil annual distribution of the funds appropriated, but 5 20 stipulates that a school district shall receive no less than 5 21 $7,500. The bill defines the term "school district" to 5 22 include the Iowa braille and sight saving school, the state 5 23 school for the deaf, the Price laboratory school at the 5 24 university of northern Iowa, Glenwood state hospital-school, 5 25 Woodward state hospital-school, the mental health institutes 5 26 located at Cherokee and Independence, the state training 5 27 school, and the Iowa juvenile home. However, under the bill, 5 28 the department of education is directed to distribute a total 5 29 of $22,500 among four of the institutions under the control of 5 30 the department of human services: the Glenwood state 5 31 hospital-school, Woodward state hospital-school, and the 5 32 mental health institutes located at Cherokee and Independence. 5 33 The bill also requires school districts to develop and 5 34 adopt an initial early childhood education plan that prepares 5 35 a child for, or supports and improves, student achievement and 6 1 includes an evaluation component. The initial plan shall be 6 2 amended or replaced at least once every five years and a copy 6 3 of the initial plan, subsequent amendments to the plan, and 6 4 replacements of the initial plan shall be sent to the 6 5 appropriate state agencies. Progress made under the plan 6 6 toward preparing students to attain student achievement goals 6 7 shall be reported annually to the appropriate state agencies. 6 8 LSB 3245HV 77 6 9 kh/cf/24
Text: HF02457 Text: HF02459 Text: HF02400 - HF02499 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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