HOUSE FILE 2250

BY  HANSON, SWAIM, GASKILL, ABDUL-SAMAD, MASCHER, THOMAS, BYRNES, MUHLBAUER, and PETTENGILL

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to school district transportation costs by providing supplementary weighting for transported pupils in certain school districts and including applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 257.11, Code 2011, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  7A.  School district per pupil transportation cost.
   a.  In order to provide additional funds for school districts with district transportation costs per pupil in excess of the state average transportation costs per pupil, as those terms are defined in section 257.31, subsection 17, a supplementary weighting plan for determining enrollment is adopted.
   b.  A supplementary weighting amount per pupil as determined under paragraph “c” shall be assigned to each transported pupil of a school district that meets the requirement of paragraph “a”.
   c.  The department of management shall calculate a supplementary weighting amount per pupil for each school district meeting the requirement of paragraph “a” to generate an amount for the school district equal to the number of transported pupils in the district multiplied by the difference between the district transportation costs per pupil and the state average transportation cost per pupil.
   d.  Eligibility for supplementary weighting under this subsection shall not affect a school district’s eligibility for transportation assistance under section 257.31, subsection 17.
    Sec. 2.  APPLICABILITY.  This Act applies to school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2013.
EXPLANATION
   This bill establishes a supplementary weighting plan for those school districts with district transportation costs per pupil in excess of the state average transportation costs per pupil. The bill requires the department of management to calculate a supplementary weighting amount per pupil for each school district meeting such a requirement to generate an amount for the school district equal to the number of transported pupils in the district multiplied by the difference between the district transportation costs per pupil and the state average transportation cost per pupil.
   The bill provides that eligibility for supplementary weighting under the bill does not affect a school district’s eligibility for transportation assistance from the school budget review committee under Code section 257.31(17).
   The bill applies to school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2013.