HF 2189 (LSB 5781HH (3) 83)

HOUSE FILE 2189

BY  MASCHER

A BILL FOR

An Act directing school districts to prioritize resources in order to meet the goal of increasing the minimum days or hours of instructional time offered in a school year.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 279.10, subsection 1, Code 2009, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  a.  The school year shall begin on the first day of July and each regularly established elementary and secondary school shall begin no sooner than a day during the calendar week in which the first day of September falls but no later than the first Monday in December. However, if the first day of September falls on a Sunday, school may begin on a day during the calendar week which immediately precedes the first day of September. School shall continue for at least one hundred eighty days, except as provided in subsection 3, and may be maintained during the entire calendar year. However, if the board of directors of a district extends the school calendar because inclement weather caused the district to temporarily close school during the regular school calendar, the district may excuse a graduating senior who has met district or school requirements for graduation from attendance during the extended school calendar. A school corporation may begin employment of personnel for in-service training and development purposes before the date to begin elementary and secondary school.
   b.  The board of directors of a school district shall prioritize the allocation of federal, state, and local moneys appropriated or levied and other resources available for the purposes of extending the school calendar or the instructional hours in a school day, including but not limited to federal race to the top fund moneys available from the United States department of education under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, state appropriations and state foundation aid, and local instructional support program revenues. The primary goal of school districts shall be to increase the instructional time required pursuant to this subsection or the instructional hours in a day for purposes that include but are not limited to closing the achievement gap and turning around persistently lowest-achieving schools.
EXPLANATION
   This bill directs the boards of directors of school districts to prioritize the allocation of federal, state, and local moneys appropriated or levied and other resources available for the purposes of extending the school calendar or the instructional hours in a school day, including but not limited to federal race to the top fund moneys available from the United States department of education under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, state appropriations and state foundation aid, and local instructional support program revenues. The bill provides that the primary goal of school districts shall be to increase the number of days in the school calendar or the instructional hours in a day for purposes that include but are not limited to closing the achievement gap and turning around persistently lowest-achieving schools.