House File 2253 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY MAY
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the school start date requirements.
2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
3 TLSB 5763HH 81
4 kh/gg/14
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 257.17, Code 2005, is amended to read
1 2 as follows:
1 3 257.17 AID REDUCTION FOR EARLY SCHOOL STARTS.
1 4 State aid payments made pursuant to section 257.16 for a
1 5 fiscal year shall be reduced by one one=hundred=eightieth for
1 6 each day of that fiscal year for which the school district
1 7 begins school before the earliest starting date specified in
1 8 section 279.10, subsection 1. However, this section does not
1 9 apply to a school district that has received approval from the
1 10 director of the department of education under section 279.10,
1 11 subsection 4, to commence classes for regularly established
1 12 elementary and secondary schools in advance of the starting
1 13 date established in section 279.10, subsection 1.
1 14 Sec. 2. Section 279.10, subsection 1, Code 2005, is
1 15 amended to read as follows:
1 16 1. The Except as provided in subsections 3 and 4, the
1 17 school year shall begin on the first day of July and each
1 18 regularly established elementary and secondary school shall
1 19 begin no sooner than a day during the calendar week in which
1 20 the first day of September falls but no later than the first
1 21 Monday in December. However, if the first day of September
1 22 falls on a Sunday, school may begin on a day during the
1 23 calendar week which immediately precedes the first day of
1 24 September. School shall continue for at least one hundred
1 25 eighty days, except as provided in subsection 3, and may be
1 26 maintained during the entire calendar year. However, if the
1 27 board of directors of a district extends the school calendar
1 28 because inclement weather caused the district to temporarily
1 29 close school during the regular school calendar, the district
1 30 may excuse a graduating senior who has met district or school
1 31 requirements for graduation from attendance during the
1 32 extended school calendar. A school corporation may begin
1 33 employment of personnel for in=service training and
1 34 development purposes before the date to begin elementary and
1 35 secondary school.
2 1 Sec. 3. Section 279.10, subsection 2, Code 2005, is
2 2 amended to read as follows:
2 3 2. The board of directors shall hold a public hearing on
2 4 any proposal request made pursuant to subsection 3 prior to
2 5 submitting it to the department of education for approval.
2 6 Sec. 4. Section 279.10, subsection 4, Code 2005, is
2 7 amended by striking the subsection and inserting in lieu
2 8 thereof the following:
2 9 4. A school district which received, not later than July
2 10 1, 2006, state board of education approval to maintain a year
2 11 around three=semester school year pursuant to section 256.20,
2 12 Code 2005, shall be exempt from the school start date
2 13 requirements of subsection 1. In addition, the director of
2 14 the department of education may exempt up to five laboratory
2 15 schools operated under chapter 265 from the school start date
2 16 requirements of this subsection.
2 17 Sec. 5. Section 256.20, Code 2005, is repealed.
2 18 EXPLANATION
2 19 This bill eliminates the authority of the director of the
2 20 department of education to grant a request made by a board of
2 21 directors of a school district to commence classes prior to
2 22 the earliest starting date allowed, which is no sooner than a
2 23 day during the calendar week in which the first day of
2 24 September falls or, if the first day of September falls on a
2 25 Sunday, a day during the prior week. The bill strikes a
2 26 provision that allows school districts to request approval for
2 27 a year around three=semester school year, but allows
2 28 exemptions for school districts that attained state board of
2 29 education approval to operate year around three=semester
2 30 school years prior to July 1, 2006. The bill permits the
2 31 director to exempt up to five laboratory schools operated by
2 32 state universities. The bill includes a technical correction
2 33 relating to public hearings which must be held prior to the
2 34 submission of a request for a pilot program for an innovative
2 35 school year.
3 1 LSB 5763HH 81
3 2 kh:rj/gg/14