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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