House File 265 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY FORD
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 task force to study a
2 renewed effort to reorganize school districts.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 2071YH 83
5 kh/rj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION == SCHOOL
1 2 REORGANIZATION TASK FORCE.
1 3 1. The department of education shall convene a task force
1 4 to study the advisability and practicability of a renewed
1 5 effort to reorganize school districts to improve student
1 6 opportunity and achievement and attain efficiencies in
1 7 administration and operations.
1 8 2. a. The director of the department of education shall
1 9 appoint members to the task force which shall include
1 10 education practitioners and stakeholders, including but not
1 11 limited to educational technology and school transportation
1 12 specialists, school business officials, and persons who
1 13 represent rural, urban, and suburban school districts
1 14 throughout Iowa; a professional with experience or expertise
1 15 in state and local taxation matters; and other stakeholders as
1 16 appropriate.
1 17 b. The task force shall select a chairperson from its
1 18 membership. A majority of the members of the task force shall
1 19 constitute a quorum.
1 20 3. The study shall include but shall not be limited to the
1 21 following:
1 22 a. A review of incentives intended to encourage school
1 23 districts to initiate sharing agreements with other districts,
1 24 utilize area education agency administrative and operations
1 25 services, and move toward reorganization.
1 26 b. Determination of the costs and methods for implementing
1 27 the incentives identified.
1 28 c. A review of reorganization efforts since 1979.
1 29 d. A review of the barriers to school district
1 30 consolidation, including transportation distances and costs,
1 31 athletic and community identification, and infrastructure
1 32 deficits.
1 33 e. An analysis of the optimal school and school district
1 34 size, with consideration given to student transportation times
1 35 and costs, and where the boundaries of such optimally sized
2 1 school districts would be established on a proposed statewide
2 2 reorganization map.
2 3 f. An evaluation of the effect technology may have on
2 4 reorganization efforts.
2 5 g. An analysis of the trends that will affect the need for
2 6 and advisability of consolidation and sharing efforts over the
2 7 next five=year and ten=year time periods.
2 8 h. An analysis of the effect of reorganization on the
2 9 status of and federal funding to schools and school districts
2 10 under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub. L.
2 11 No. 107=110.
2 12 i. Identification of actions that may be taken by the
2 13 state, the department of education, area education agencies,
2 14 and stakeholders that have proven to assist school district
2 15 reorganization and sharing efforts.
2 16 4. The task force shall report its findings and
2 17 recommendations, including any recommendations for statutory
2 18 changes, to the state board of education and the general
2 19 assembly by January 15, 2010.
2 20 EXPLANATION
2 21 This bill directs the department of education to convene to
2 22 study the advisability and practicability of a renewed effort
2 23 to consolidate school districts to improve student opportunity
2 24 and achievement and attain efficiencies in administration and
2 25 operations.
2 26 The director of the department is directed to appoint
2 27 members to the task force which shall include education
2 28 practitioners and stakeholders, including but not limited to
2 29 educational technology and school transportation specialists,
2 30 school business officials, and persons who represent rural,
2 31 urban, and suburban school districts throughout Iowa; a
2 32 professional with experience or expertise in state and local
2 33 taxation matters; and other stakeholders as appropriate.
2 34 The task force must submit its findings and recommendations
2 35 in a report to the state board of education and the general
3 1 assembly by January 15, 2010.
3 2 LSB 2071YH 83
3 3 kh/rj/5