House File 475 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY STAED, DANDEKAR, T. TAYLOR,
ABDUL=SAMAD, GAYMAN, T. OLSON,
FORD, THOMAS, KELLEY, D. OLSON,
HUNTER, and D. TAYLOR
(COMPANION TO SF 197 BY HOGG)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for the establishment of a math and science
2 education improvement grant program, and providing
3 appropriations.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 2088YH 82
6 ak/je/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256.36A MATH AND SCIENCE
1 2 EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM == APPROPRIATIONS.
1 3 1. a. The department shall establish a math and science
1 4 education improvement grant program to provide grants to area
1 5 education agencies, community colleges, and school districts
1 6 to provide regional or cooperative programs for the following
1 7 purposes:
1 8 (1) Teacher training and professional development.
1 9 (2) Supplemental math, science, engineering, and other
1 10 technology=oriented educational opportunities for students,
1 11 including opportunities for low=income, female, and minority
1 12 students.
1 13 (3) Internships and workplace learning opportunities.
1 14 (4) Expansion and alignment of curriculum.
1 15 b. Participation of Iowa businesses or business
1 16 organizations is required in order to receive grant funds.
1 17 c. Not more than two percent of the grant amount awarded
1 18 shall be spent for administrative costs.
1 19 d. The department, in consultation with business
1 20 organizations, shall award grants and require regular reports
1 21 from recipients regarding uses of grants and progress of
1 22 projects.
1 23 2. a. There is appropriated from the general fund of the
1 24 state to the department of education for the following budget
1 25 years the following amounts to be awarded as grants pursuant
1 26 to the program:
1 27 (1) Five hundred thousand dollars in the budget year
1 28 beginning July 1, 2007.
1 29 (2) One million dollars in the budget year beginning July
1 30 1, 2008.
1 31 (3) One million five hundred thousand dollars in the
1 32 budget year beginning July 1, 2009, and each subsequent budget
1 33 year through the budget year beginning July 1, 2016.
1 34 b. (1) Math and science education improvement grants
1 35 shall be awarded on an annual basis. However, grant awards
2 1 shall be limited based on previous grant amounts awarded in a
2 2 region, so that no more than five hundred thousand dollars in
2 3 grants is received in one region in any one year. For the
2 4 purposes of this section, "region" means an area education
2 5 agency region as determined by the boundaries in effect as of
2 6 January 1, 2007.
2 7 (2) A math and science education improvement grant may be
2 8 awarded for a project lasting up to three years.
2 9 EXPLANATION
2 10 This bill establishes a grant program in the department of
2 11 education to promote math and science education improvements.
2 12 The bill states that the grants will be allocated to area
2 13 education agencies, community colleges, and school districts
2 14 to provide regional and cooperative programs for these
2 15 purposes: teacher training and professional development;
2 16 supplemental math, science, engineering, and other
2 17 technology=oriented educational opportunities for students,
2 18 including low=income, female, and minority students;
2 19 internships and workplace learning opportunities; and
2 20 expansion and alignment of curriculum.
2 21 The bill requires that Iowa businesses or organizations be
2 22 involved with the programs being funded by the grants. The
2 23 bill also requires that not more than 2 percent of grant funds
2 24 be spent on administrative costs.
2 25 The bill requires that the department of education, in
2 26 consultation with business organizations, award the grants and
2 27 monitor the recipients, including requiring the recipients to
2 28 report on the uses of the grant funds and the progress of the
2 29 projects.
2 30 The bill sets out the amount of funds available for grants
2 31 from the budget year beginning July 1, 2007, through the
2 32 budget year beginning July 1, 2016. In the budget year
2 33 beginning July 1, 2007, $500,000 is available in grant funds.
2 34 In the budget year beginning July 1, 2008, $1 million is
2 35 available in grant funds. In the budget year beginning July
3 1 1, 2009, through the budget year beginning July 1, 2016,
3 2 $1,500,000 is available in grant funds.
3 3 The bill specifies that grants shall be awarded annually.
3 4 However, a total of not more than $500,000 in grant awards
3 5 shall be awarded to any one region in any one year. "Region"
3 6 means an area education agency region, as determined by
3 7 boundaries as of January 1, 2007. A grant may be awarded for
3 8 a project lasting up to three years.
3 9 LSB 2088YH 82
3 10 ak:nh/je/5.2