House File 806 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY MAY
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act requiring the department of education to create two
2 one=year pilot programs to fund special education support
3 services, media services, and education services through
4 individual school districts or school district consortiums
5 instead of the respective area education agencies.
6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
7 TLSB 2526YH 83
8 ak/nh/14
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. STUDENTS' SPECIAL SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM.
1 2 1. The department of education shall create two pilot
1 3 programs pursuant to which individual school districts served
1 4 by different area education agencies or school district
1 5 consortiums served by the same area education agency shall
1 6 test a funding model that pays each school district the
1 7 applicable amount of state aid funding for special education
1 8 support services, media services, and education services, as
1 9 calculated by the department of management, and the districts
1 10 shall then provide these services to their students directly.
1 11 2. a. Beginning with the school year beginning July 1,
1 12 2010, the department shall initiate the pilot programs in
1 13 school districts offering kindergarten through grade twelve to
1 14 evaluate the effectiveness of allowing a school district to
1 15 receive moneys as described in subsection 1 to test whether a
1 16 school district or a consortium of school districts can
1 17 provide equal or improved services to its students. A pilot
1 18 program may be conducted in one school district or in up to
1 19 three school districts that collaborate to form a consortium
1 20 to achieve the goals of the pilot program.
1 21 b. The department shall use the pilot programs to identify
1 22 the strengths and weaknesses in both the current area
1 23 education agency funding method and the pilot program method
1 24 of funding. The department shall compare and contrast the
1 25 cost=effectiveness of each funding system, analyze student
1 26 achievement and needs under each funding system, and identify
1 27 areas of improvement with each system.
1 28 3. The participating school districts shall provide data
1 29 and other information as necessary to the department which
1 30 shall report to the general assembly and the governor by
1 31 January 1, 2012, regarding its evaluation of the pilot
1 32 programs.
1 33 EXPLANATION
1 34 This bill requires the department of education to create
1 35 two one=year pilot programs to fund special education support
2 1 services, media services, and education services through
2 2 school districts instead of the respective area education
2 3 agencies (AEAs).
2 4 The department shall create two pilot programs in either
2 5 individual school districts served by different AEAs or in
2 6 consortiums of up to three school districts served by the same
2 7 AEA in order to evaluate a funding model that pays each school
2 8 district the applicable amount of state aid funding for
2 9 special education support services, media services, and
2 10 education services, as calculated by the department of
2 11 management, and the districts shall then provide these
2 12 services to their students directly.
2 13 Beginning with the school year beginning July 1, 2010, the
2 14 department shall use the pilot programs to evaluate the
2 15 effectiveness of allowing a school district to receive moneys
2 16 as described in the bill to see if the school districts can
2 17 provide equal or improved services to their students.
2 18 The department shall identify the strengths and weaknesses
2 19 in both the current AEA funding method and the pilot program
2 20 method of funding, and compare and contrast the
2 21 cost=effectiveness of each funding system, analyze student
2 22 achievement and needs under each funding system, and identify
2 23 areas of improvement with each system.
2 24 The participating school districts shall provide all
2 25 information and data necessary to the department which shall
2 26 report to the general assembly and the governor by January 1,
2 27 2012, regarding its evaluation of the pilot programs.
2 28 LSB 2526YH 83
2 29 ak/nh/14.1