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1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256D.1 LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND
1 2 INTENT.
1 3 The general assembly finds that it is in the best interest
1 4 of the state to encourage and fund early education programs
1 5 focused on kindergarten through grade three in the public
1 6 school districts. The goal of these programs is to improve
1 7 student achievement in the basic educational subject matters,
1 8 such as reading, language arts, and mathematics, and to
1 9 accomplish proficiency in those subjects by grade four.
1 10 Toward that goal, it is the intent of this chapter to
1 11 establish and fund an early education improvement program.
1 12 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 256D.2 EARLY EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT
1 13 PROGRAM APPROPRIATION.
1 14 1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the
1 15 state to the department of education for the fiscal year
1 16 beginning July 1, 1998, and for each succeeding fiscal year,
1 17 the sum of seven million dollars for the early education
1 18 improvement program.
1 19 2. For each fiscal year for which moneys are appropriated
1 20 in subsection 1, the amount of moneys allocated to school
1 21 districts shall be in the proportion that the basic enrollment
1 22 of a district bears to the sum of the basic enrollments of all
1 23 school districts in the state for the budget year. However, a
1 24 district shall not receive less than ten thousand dollars in a
1 25 fiscal year. The Iowa braille and sight saving school, the
1 26 state school for the deaf, and the Price laboratory school at
1 27 the university of northern Iowa shall annually certify their
1 28 basic enrollments to the department of education by October 1.
1 29 3. For each year for which an appropriation is made to the
1 30 early education improvement program, the department of
1 31 education shall notify the department of revenue and finance
1 32 of the amount to be paid to each school district based upon
1 33 the distribution plan set forth for the appropriation made
1 34 pursuant to this section. The allocation to each school
1 35 district under this section shall be made in one payment on or
2 1 about October 15 of the fiscal year for which the
2 2 appropriation is made, taking into consideration the relative
2 3 budget and cash position of the state resources.
2 4 4. Moneys received under this section shall not be
2 5 commingled with state aid payments made under section 257.16
2 6 to a school district and shall be accounted for by the school
2 7 district separately from state aid payments.
2 8 5. Payments made to school districts under this section
2 9 are miscellaneous income for purposes of chapter 257 and are
2 10 considered encumbered. Each school district shall maintain a
2 11 separate listing within their budgets for payments received
2 12 and expenditures made pursuant to this section.
2 13 6. Moneys received under this section shall not be used
2 14 for payment of any collective bargaining agreement or
2 15 arbitrator's decision negotiated or awarded under chapter 20.
2 16 7. For purposes of this chapter, "school district" means a
2 17 public school district, the Iowa braille and sight saving
2 18 school, the state school for the deaf, and the Price
2 19 laboratory school at the university of northern Iowa.
2 20 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 256D.3 EARLY EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT
2 21 PROGRAM – REPORTS.
2 22 1. Progress, as determined by school districts through
2 23 appropriate assessments, for children enrolled in kindergarten
2 24 through grade three in attaining or surpassing student
2 25 achievement goals as established under the accreditation
2 26 process in chapter 256, and an accounting of the use of the
2 27 moneys received by the school districts in accordance with
2 28 this chapter, shall be submitted in an annual report to the
2 29 department of education by September 1 in the fiscal year
2 30 beginning July 1, 1999, and in each succeeding year. Each
2 31 school district shall also certify, in the annual report to
2 32 the department, that the school districts used the moneys
2 33 received under this chapter to supplement, and not to
2 34 supplant, the moneys otherwise received and used by the school
2 35 district for kindergarten through grade three education
3 1 purposes.
3 2 2. Progress, as determined individually by the Iowa
3 3 braille and sight saving school, the state school for the
3 4 deaf, and the Price laboratory school at the university of
3 5 northern Iowa, including the progress of children enrolled in
3 6 kindergarten through grade three in attaining or surpassing
3 7 student achievement goals, and an accounting of the use of the
3 8 moneys received by the school districts in accordance with
3 9 this chapter, shall be submitted in an annual report to the
3 10 state board of regents and the department of education by
3 11 September 1 in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and in
3 12 each succeeding year. Each school district shall also
3 13 certify, in the annual report to the board of regents and the
3 14 department, that the school districts used the moneys received
3 15 under this chapter to supplement, and not to supplant, the
3 16 moneys otherwise received and used by the school districts for
3 17 kindergarten through grade three education purposes.
3 18 3. The department shall submit, to the chairpersons and
3 19 ranking members of the house and senate education committees
3 20 by January 1, 2000, a report describing the ways in which the
3 21 school districts are making use of the moneys received under
3 22 this chapter, and including the school districts, if any, that
3 23 used moneys received under this chapter to supplant funds the
3 24 school district was already receiving for kindergarten through
3 25 grade three education purposes.
3 26 4. The department shall submit, to the chairpersons and
3 27 ranking members of the house and senate education committees
3 28 by January 1, 2002, a report describing school district
3 29 progress on attaining or surpassing student achievement goals.
3 30 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 256D.4 EARLY EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT
3 31 PROGRAM EXPENDITURES.
3 32 School districts shall expend funds received pursuant to
3 33 section 256D.2 to support education practices, programs, or
3 34 assistance for kindergarten through grade three that include,
3 35 but are not limited to, the following: reducing adult to
4 1 student ratios through the hiring of teachers and adult
4 2 teaching assistants; volunteer coordinator programs;
4 3 implementation of instructional programs designed to improve
4 4 student achievement in the areas of reading, language arts,
4 5 and mathematics; parental involvement programs; and
4 6 contributions toward implementation of an extended school day
4 7 or year program.
4 8 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 256D.5 FUTURE REPEAL.
4 9 This chapter is repealed effective July 1, 2002.
4 10 EXPLANATION
4 11 This bill establishes an early education improvement
4 12 program, focused on kindergarten through grade three, with an
4 13 annual appropriation of $7 million from the state general fund
4 14 to the department of education.
4 15 The general assembly finds, according to the bill, that it
4 16 is in the best interest of the state to encourage and fund
4 17 early education programs in public school districts. The bill
4 18 defines the goals of an eligible early education improvement
4 19 program and lists the components of early education practices
4 20 and programs for which state funding may be expended.
4 21 The bill provides for a per pupil annual distribution of
4 22 the funds appropriated, but stipulates that a school district
4 23 shall receive no less than $10,000. The bill defines the term
4 24 "school district" to include public school districts, the Iowa
4 25 braille and sight saving school, the state school for the
4 26 deaf, and the Price laboratory school at the university of
4 27 northern Iowa.
4 28 The bill requires that school districts report to the
4 29 appropriate state agencies progress made in attaining or
4 30 surpassing student achievement goals. The bill also requires
4 31 the department of education to submit to the chairpersons and
4 32 ranking members of the house and senate committees on
4 33 education reports describing the ways school districts are
4 34 using early education moneys, whether any are using the moneys
4 35 to supplant other funding, and describing district progress on
5 1 attaining or surpassing student achievement goals.
5 2 LSB 4304SV 77
5 3 kh/jw/5
Text: SF02192 Text: SF02194 Text: SF02100 - SF02199 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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