Text: SF02298 Text: SF02300 Text: SF02200 - SF02299 Text: SF 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 It is the intent of the general assembly to provide 1 4 assistance to enable public school districts to work with 1 5 local community collaborative efforts to reduce gaps in 1 6 service and eliminate duplication in meeting the needs of 1 7 children from birth through grade three. These needs, at a 1 8 minimum, include child development, child care, children's 1 9 health and safety, and parent education needs. Therefore, the 1 10 general assembly finds that it is in the best interest of the 1 11 state to encourage and fund early childhood and elementary 1 12 education programs focused on children from birth through 1 13 grade three in the school districts. The goal of these 1 14 programs is to improve student achievement in the basic 1 15 educational subject matters, such as reading, language arts, 1 16 and mathematics, and to accomplish proficiency in those 1 17 subjects by grade four. Toward that goal, it is the intent of 1 18 this chapter to establish and fund an early childhood and 1 19 elementary education improvement program. 1 20 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 256D.2 EARLY CHILDHOOD AND 1 21 ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM APPROPRIATION. 1 22 1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the 1 23 state to the department of education for the fiscal year 1 24 beginning July 1, 1998, and for each succeeding fiscal year, 1 25 the sum of thirty million dollars for the early childhood and 1 26 elementary education improvement program. 1 27 2. For each fiscal year for which moneys are appropriated 1 28 in subsection 1, the amount of moneys allocated to school 1 29 districts shall be in the proportion that the basic enrollment 1 30 of a district bears to the sum of the basic enrollments of all 1 31 school districts in the state for the budget year. However, a 1 32 district shall not receive less than twenty-five thousand 1 33 dollars in a fiscal year. The Iowa braille and sight saving 1 34 school, the Iowa school for the deaf, and the Price laboratory 1 35 school at the university of northern Iowa shall annually 2 1 certify their basic enrollments to the department of education 2 2 by October 1. 2 3 3. For each year for which an appropriation is made to the 2 4 early childhood and elementary education improvement program, 2 5 the department of education shall notify the department of 2 6 revenue and finance of the amount to be paid to each school 2 7 district based upon the distribution plan set forth for the 2 8 appropriation made pursuant to this section. The allocation 2 9 to each school district under this section shall be made in 2 10 one payment on or about October 15 of the fiscal year for 2 11 which the appropriation is made, taking into consideration the 2 12 relative budget and cash position of the state resources. 2 13 4. Moneys received under this section shall not be 2 14 commingled with state aid payments made under section 257.16 2 15 to a school district and shall be accounted for by the school 2 16 district separately from state aid payments. 2 17 5. Moneys received under this section shall supplement and 2 18 not supplant existing moneys or moneys otherwise received and 2 19 used by the school district for similar early childhood or 2 20 elementary education purposes. 2 21 6. Payments made to school districts under this section 2 22 are miscellaneous income for purposes of chapter 257 and are 2 23 considered encumbered. Each school district shall maintain a 2 24 separate listing within its budget for payments received and 2 25 expenditures made pursuant to this section. 2 26 7. Moneys received under this section shall not be used 2 27 for payment of any collective bargaining agreement or 2 28 arbitrator's decision negotiated or awarded under chapter 20. 2 29 8. For purposes of this chapter, "school district" means a 2 30 public school district, the Iowa braille and sight saving 2 31 school, the Iowa school for the deaf, and the Price laboratory 2 32 school at the university of northern Iowa. 2 33 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 256D.3 EARLY CHILDHOOD AND 2 34 ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM REPORTS. 2 35 1. By July 1, 1999, and by July 1 of each succeeding year, 3 1 each school district shall submit to the department of 3 2 education an annual report that describes the ways in which 3 3 the school district used the moneys received under this 3 4 chapter for early childhood and elementary education 3 5 improvement purposes. 3 6 2. By July 1, 1999, and by July 1 of each succeeding year, 3 7 the Iowa braille and sight saving school, the Iowa school for 3 8 the deaf, and the Price laboratory school at the university of 3 9 northern Iowa, shall each submit to the state board of regents 3 10 and department of education an annual report that describes 3 11 the ways in which the moneys received under this chapter for 3 12 early childhood and elementary education improvement purposes 3 13 were used. 3 14 3. The department shall submit, to the chairpersons and 3 15 ranking members of the house and senate education committees 3 16 by January 1, 2000, a report summarizing the ways in which the 3 17 school districts are making use of the moneys received under 3 18 this chapter. The department shall make the report available 3 19 to school districts upon request. 3 20 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 256D.4 EARLY CHILDHOOD AND 3 21 ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM EXPENDITURES. 3 22 1. School districts shall expend funds received pursuant 3 23 to section 256D.2 to support education practices, programs, or 3 24 assistance for children from birth through grade three that 3 25 include, but are not limited to, the following: preschool 3 26 services provided on a voluntary basis to four-year-old 3 27 children deemed at risk of not succeeding in elementary 3 28 school, in accordance with criteria established for the 3 29 definition of at-risk children by the child development 3 30 coordinating council; parent education programs provided on a 3 31 voluntary basis to parents of children from birth through 3 32 grade three; children's services relating to child development 3 33 and school readiness, child care, and children's health and 3 34 safety; all-day, everyday, kindergarten; reducing adult-to- 3 35 student ratios through the hiring of teachers and adult 4 1 teaching assistants; volunteer coordinator programs; 4 2 implementation of instructional programs designed to improve 4 3 student achievement in the areas of reading, language arts, 4 4 and mathematics; parental involvement programs; and 4 5 contributions toward implementation of an extended school day 4 6 or year program. 4 7 2. Funds expended in accordance with this chapter may be 4 8 used to support education practices, programs, or assistance 4 9 for children from birth through grade three, as provided in 4 10 this section, that may be located in buildings other than a 4 11 building owned or leased by the school district. 4 12 3. School districts expending program funds to support 4 13 education practices, programs, or assistance for children from 4 14 birth through age four shall consult with the departments of 4 15 public health and human services in developing and 4 16 implementing the practices, programs, or assistance. 4 17 EXPLANATION 4 18 This bill establishes an early childhood and elementary 4 19 education improvement program, focused on children from birth 4 20 through grade three, with an annual appropriation of $30 4 21 million from the state general fund to the department of 4 22 education. 4 23 The bill includes legislative intent to provide assistance 4 24 to enable public school districts to work with local community 4 25 collaborative efforts to reduce gaps in service and eliminate 4 26 duplication in meeting the needs of children from birth 4 27 through grade three. The general assembly finds, according to 4 28 the bill, that it is in the best interest of the state to 4 29 encourage and fund early childhood and elementary education 4 30 programs in public school districts. The bill defines the 4 31 goals of an eligible program and lists the components of early 4 32 childhood and elementary education practices and programs for 4 33 which state funding may be expended. 4 34 The bill provides for a per pupil annual distribution of 4 35 the funds appropriated, but stipulates that a school district 5 1 shall receive no less than $25,000. The bill defines the term 5 2 "school district" to include public school districts, the Iowa 5 3 braille and sight saving school, the Iowa school for the deaf, 5 4 and the Price laboratory school at the university of northern 5 5 Iowa. 5 6 The bill requires that school districts report to the 5 7 appropriate state agencies ways in which the moneys received 5 8 under the program were spent by the school districts. The 5 9 bill also requires the department of education to submit to 5 10 the chairpersons and ranking members of the house and senate 5 11 committees on education reports summarizing the ways school 5 12 districts are using program moneys. 5 13 LSB 3462XS 77 5 14 kh/jw/5.1
Text: SF02298 Text: SF02300 Text: SF02200 - SF02299 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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