SENATE FILE 2023

BY  KIBBIE and JOHNSON

A BILL FOR

An Act eliminating the department of education’s authority to approve certain requests to waive the school start date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 257.17, Code 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   257.17  Aid reduction for early school starts.
   State aid payments made pursuant to section 257.16 for a fiscal year shall be reduced by one one-hundred-eightieth for each day of that fiscal year for which the school district begins school before the earliest starting date specified in section 279.10, subsection 1. However, this section does not apply to a school district that has received approval from the director of
 
state board of education for a year around school year under section 256.20, or from the department of education under section 279.10, subsection 4, to commence classes for regularly established elementary and secondary schools in advance of the starting date established
 
for a pilot program for an innovative school year in
 
accordance with section 279.10, subsection 1
 
3.
    Sec. 2.  Section 279.10, subsection 2, Code 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  The board of directors shall hold a public hearing on any proposal
 
request for approval made pursuant to subsection 3 prior to submitting it to the department of education for approval.
    Sec. 3.  Section 279.10, subsection 4, Code 2011, is amended by striking the subsection.
EXPLANATION
   This bill eliminates the department of education’s authority to grant a school district’s request to waive the earliest school start date allowed, which currently is no sooner than a day during the calendar week in which the first day of September falls or, if the first day of September falls on a Sunday, a day during the prior week.
   The bill makes a conforming change to eliminate an exemption in a provision that reduces a school district’s state aid payments for early school starts unless the school district receives a waiver, but maintains exemptions for a school district approved to implement an innovative school year or a year around school year.