House File 2199 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY WENDT
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for an increase in the number of elementary and
2 secondary school instructional days, and making an
3 appropriation.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 5254YH 81
6 rn/gg/14
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 257.8, Code Supplement 2005, is amended
1 2 by adding the following new subsection:
1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 4A. ALTERNATE ALLOWABLE GROWTH ==
1 4 ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS.
1 5 a. Notwithstanding the calculation in subsection 2, the
1 6 department of management shall calculate the regular program
1 7 allowable growth for a budget year during the period beginning
1 8 July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2012, by increasing the
1 9 allowable growth for the budget year, for purposes of
1 10 determining the regular program state cost per pupil as
1 11 calculated in subsection 2, by the amount appropriated for the
1 12 base year in section 279.10, subsection 5, as additional
1 13 instructional day funding. For purposes of determining the
1 14 amount of a budget adjustment as defined in section 257.14,
1 15 the amounts added to allowable growth pursuant to this
1 16 paragraph shall be subtracted from the school district's
1 17 regular program cost per pupil for a budget year during the
1 18 period beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2012, prior
1 19 to determining the amount of the adjustment.
1 20 b. A school district shall calculate allowable growth
1 21 pursuant to the provisions of subsection 2 for the budget year
1 22 beginning July 1, 2007, and succeeding budget years, utilizing
1 23 a regular program state cost per pupil figure which
1 24 incorporates the increases in regular program allowable growth
1 25 calculated for each budget year pursuant to paragraph "a".
1 26 Sec. 2. Section 279.10, subsection 1, Code 2005, is
1 27 amended to read as follows:
1 28 1. a. The school year shall begin on the first day of
1 29 July and each regularly established elementary and secondary
1 30 school shall begin no sooner than a day during the calendar
1 31 week in which the first day of September falls but no later
1 32 than the first Monday in December. However, if the first day
1 33 of September falls on a Sunday, school may begin on a day
1 34 during the calendar week which immediately precedes the first
1 35 day of September. School shall continue for at least one
2 1 hundred eighty days the period specified in paragraph "b" of
2 2 this subsection, except as provided in subsection 3, and may
2 3 be maintained during the entire calendar year. However, if
2 4 the board of directors of a district extends the school
2 5 calendar because inclement weather caused the district to
2 6 temporarily close school during the regular school calendar,
2 7 the district may excuse a graduating senior who has met
2 8 district or school requirements for graduation from attendance
2 9 during the extended school calendar. A school corporation may
2 10 begin employment of personnel for in=service training and
2 11 development purposes before the date to begin elementary and
2 12 secondary school.
2 13 b. For the school year beginning July 1, 2006, the number
2 14 of elementary and secondary school instructional days shall be
2 15 at least one hundred eighty=two. For each succeeding school
2 16 year, the number of instructional days shall be increased by
2 17 two days over the number of instructional days applicable for
2 18 the preceding school year, through the school year beginning
2 19 July 1, 2010. For the school year beginning July 1, 2011, and
2 20 succeeding school years, the number of elementary and
2 21 secondary school instructional days shall be at least one
2 22 hundred ninety.
2 23 Sec. 3. Section 279.10, Code 2005, is amended by adding
2 24 the following new subsection:
2 25 NEW SUBSECTION. 5. There is appropriated annually for the
2 26 fiscal period beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June 30,
2 27 2011, from the general fund of the state to the department of
2 28 education, an amount sufficient to pay the per diem cost of
2 29 the increase of two additional instructional days over the
2 30 number of instructional days for the preceding school year for
2 31 each school district as provided in subsection 1, paragraph
2 32 "b". The department of management shall calculate the amount
2 33 sufficient to pay the per diem cost pursuant to this
2 34 subsection, which shall be distributed to school districts as
2 35 provided in section 257.16, subsection 2.
3 1 EXPLANATION
3 2 This bill provides for a gradual increase in the number of
3 3 instructional days contained within the school calendar for
3 4 elementary and secondary pupils and makes appropriations.
3 5 The bill provides that for the school year beginning July
3 6 1, 2006, the number of instructional days shall be increased
3 7 from 180 to 182. The annual increase of two additional
3 8 instructional days shall continue for each succeeding school
3 9 year until the number of instructional days reaches 190 for
3 10 the school year beginning July 1, 2010, at which point the
3 11 required number of instructional days shall remain at 190 for
3 12 succeeding school years.
3 13 The bill creates a standing unlimited appropriation in an
3 14 amount, as determined by the department of management,
3 15 sufficient to provide to each school district the per diem
3 16 cost of the two additional instructional days each year, for
3 17 the five school years during which the number of instructional
3 18 days is increasing. The amounts appropriated shall be
3 19 distributed to school districts with other state aid amounts
3 20 pursuant to Code section 257.16, subsection 2. In order to
3 21 reflect the appropriated amounts in future state and district
3 22 cost calculations, the bill provides for an alternative
3 23 allowable growth calculation for the budget years immediately
3 24 following the school years for which the appropriations are
3 25 received.
3 26 LSB 5254YH 81
3 27 rn:rj/gg/14