House File 816 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HF 415) Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act providing for a school attendance task force pilot 2 program, and providing an appropriation. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2410HV 82 5 ak/es/88 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2007, is amended by adding 1 2 the following new subsection: 1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 55. If funds are appropriated by the 1 4 general assembly for the program, establish and coordinate, as 1 5 provided in section 299.25, a school attendance task force 1 6 pilot project program, create a grant application process and 1 7 application forms, and provide technical assistance to school 1 8 attendance task force pilot project program grant recipients 1 9 as provided in section 299.26. 1 10 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 299.25 SCHOOL ATTENDANCE TASK FORCE 1 11 PILOT PROJECT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED. 1 12 If the general assembly appropriates moneys for the 1 13 establishment of a school attendance task force pilot project 1 14 program, the department of education shall establish and 1 15 coordinate a school attendance task force pilot project 1 16 program, as provided in this section and section 299.26, to 1 17 effectuate collaborative, positive interventions for truant 1 18 students with multiple needs in order to satisfactorily fill 1 19 the basic needs of the truant student and improve the 1 20 student's attendance. The program shall provide for the 1 21 establishment of school attendance task force projects for a 1 22 school year. A grant may be awarded to a consortium of school 1 23 districts that meet the requirements provided in section 1 24 299.26. The department shall establish and administer not 1 25 less than one grant to a large school district, one grant to a 1 26 medium-size school district, and one grant to a small school 1 27 district, and districts shall be selected from both rural and 1 28 urban areas. For purposes of this section, a "large school 1 29 district" is a district with an actual enrollment of five 1 30 thousand or more pupils; a "medium=size school district" is a 1 31 district with an actual enrollment that is greater than seven 1 32 hundred fifty pupils but less than five thousand pupils; and a 1 33 "small school district" is a district with an actual 1 34 enrollment of seven hundred fifty or fewer pupils. 1 35 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 299.26 GRANT CRITERIA == TASK FORCE 2 1 MEMBERS. 2 2 1. If the general assembly appropriates moneys for the 2 3 establishment of a school attendance task force pilot project 2 4 program as provided in section 299.25 and this section, the 2 5 department of education shall develop criteria and a process 2 6 for implementing school attendance task force pilot programs. 2 7 This information shall be made available to all school 2 8 districts. 2 9 2. Criteria for the selection of grant recipients shall 2 10 include but is not limited to a method for prioritizing grant 2 11 applications based on illustrated efforts to meet the multiple 2 12 needs of the truant students and their families. Criteria for 2 13 the selection shall also include a requirement that the task 2 14 force members will include representatives from the school 2 15 district or from a consortium of school districts, the office 2 16 of the county attorney, the department of human services, 2 17 local police and county sheriff's departments, and the area 2 18 juvenile court office. Evidence of excessive truancy 2 19 intervention needs may entitle a grant application to 2 20 priority, if the application includes methods of amelioration 2 21 of the problem through mediation with a student and the 2 22 student's parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian. 2 23 3. The department shall provide technical assistance to 2 24 grant recipients to establish school attendance task force 2 25 projects. 2 26 4. Grant recipients shall provide the department of 2 27 education adequate assurance that district school attendance 2 28 policies will be reviewed. Successful grant recipients shall 2 29 use a local truancy intervention task force to review the 2 30 implementation of truancy provisions in chapter 299. Grant 2 31 recipients shall provide the department with a final report on 2 32 the effects of the pilot program implementation. The final 2 33 report shall include recommendations for appropriate 2 34 adjustments to the truancy provisions in chapter 299. 2 35 5. Grant recipients shall convene a meeting of the schools 3 1 within the area, the county attorney, and a representative of 3 2 the area juvenile court office to review the support structure 3 3 needed to improve school attendance. 3 4 Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the 3 5 general fund of the state to the department of education for 3 6 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 3 7 2008, the following amount, or so much thereof as is 3 8 necessary, to be used for the purpose designated: 3 9 For purposes of the school attendance task force pilot 3 10 project program established in section 299.25: 3 11 .................................................. $ 250,000 3 12 The department may retain a portion of the funds for 3 13 administrative purposes. Notwithstanding section 8.33, 3 14 unencumbered or unobligated funds remaining on June 30 of the 3 15 fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated shall not 3 16 revert but shall be available for expenditure for the 3 17 following fiscal year for the purposes designated. 3 18 EXPLANATION 3 19 This bill appropriates $250,000 from the general fund of 3 20 the state to the department of education for the 2007=2008 3 21 fiscal year for the purposes of the school attendance task 3 22 force pilot project program, which is also established under 3 23 the bill. 3 24 The department of education is charged with establishing 3 25 and coordinating a school attendance task force pilot project 3 26 program to effectuate collaborative, positive interventions 3 27 for truant students with multiple needs in order to 3 28 satisfactorily fill the basic needs of the truant student and 3 29 improve the student's attendance. 3 30 Project grants are to be awarded to school districts, or a 3 31 consortium of school districts, of various sizes that are 3 32 selected from both rural and urban areas. 3 33 The department is directed to develop criteria and a 3 34 process for implementing school attendance task force pilot 3 35 programs, and distributing the information to all school 4 1 districts. 4 2 The department is directed to include in its criteria a 4 3 requirement that the task force members include 4 4 representatives from the school district or from a consortium 4 5 of school districts, the office of the county attorney, the 4 6 department of human services, local police and county 4 7 sheriff's departments, and the area juvenile court office. 4 8 Grant recipients shall provide the department with a final 4 9 report on the effects of the pilot program implementation, 4 10 including recommendations for appropriate adjustments to the 4 11 truancy provisions in Code chapter 299. 4 12 Grant recipients shall provide the department of education 4 13 with adequate assurance that district school attendance 4 14 policies will be reviewed. Grant recipients are directed to 4 15 convene a meeting with the schools within the area, the county 4 16 attorney, and a representative of the area juvenile court 4 17 office to review the support structure needed to improve 4 18 school attendance. 4 19 LSB 2410HV 82 4 20 ak:nh/es/88