Senate File 2155 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2155 BY HOGG A BILL FOR An Act relating to the appropriate uses of returning dropout 1 and dropout prevention program funding. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5940XS (5) 84 kh/sc

S.F. 2155 Section 1. Section 257.41, Code 2011, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 257.41 Funding for programs for returning dropouts and 3 dropout prevention. 4 1. Budget. The budget of an approved program for returning 5 dropouts and dropout prevention for a school district, after 6 subtracting funds received from other sources for that purpose, 7 shall be funded annually on a basis of one-fourth or more 8 from the district cost of the school district and up to 9 three-fourths by an increase in allowable growth as defined in 10 section 257.8 . Annually, the department of management shall 11 establish a modified allowable growth for each such school 12 district equal to the difference between the approved budget 13 for the program for returning dropouts and dropout prevention 14 for that district and the sum of the amount funded from the 15 district cost of the school district plus funds received from 16 other sources. 17 2. Appropriate uses of funding. Appropriate uses of the 18 returning dropout and dropout prevention program funding 19 include but are not limited to the following: 20 a. Salary and benefits for instructional staff, 21 instructional support staff, and school-based youth services 22 staff who are working with students who are participating 23 in dropout prevention programs, alternative programs, and 24 alternative schools, in a traditional or alternative setting, 25 if the staff person’s time is dedicated to working with 26 returning dropouts or students who are deemed, at any time 27 during the school year, to be at risk of dropping out, in 28 order to provide services beyond those which are provided by 29 the school district to students who are not identified as at 30 risk of dropping out. However, if the staff person works 31 part-time with students who are participating in returning 32 dropout and dropout prevention programs, alternative programs, 33 and alternative schools and has another unrelated staff 34 assignment, only the portion of the staff person’s time that 35 -1- LSB 5940XS (5) 84 kh/sc 1/ 3

S.F. 2155 is related to the returning dropout and dropout prevention 1 program, alternative program, or alternative school may be 2 charged to the program. For purposes of this paragraph, if 3 an alternative setting is necessary to provide for a program 4 which is offered at a location off school grounds and which 5 is intended to serve student needs by improving relationships 6 and connections to school, decreasing truancy and tardiness, 7 providing opportunities for course credit recovery, or helping 8 students identified as at risk of dropping out to accelerate 9 through multiple grade levels of achievement within a shortened 10 time frame, the tuition costs for a student identified as at 11 risk of dropping out shall be considered an appropriate use of 12 the returning dropout and dropout prevention program funding. 13 b. Professional development for all teachers and staff 14 working with at-risk students and programs involving dropout 15 prevention strategies. 16 c. Research-based resources, materials, software, supplies, 17 and purchased services that meet all of the following criteria: 18 (1) Meet the needs of kindergarten through grade twelve 19 students identified as at risk of dropping out and of returning 20 dropouts. 21 (2) Are beyond those provided by the regular school program. 22 (3) Are necessary to provide the services listed in the 23 school district’s dropout prevention plan. 24 (4) Will remain with the kindergarten through grade twelve 25 returning dropout and dropout prevention program. 26 d. Up to five percent of the total budgeted amount received 27 pursuant to subsection 1 may be used for purposes of providing 28 district-wide or building-wide returning dropout and dropout 29 prevention programming targeted to students who are not deemed 30 at risk of dropping out. 31 EXPLANATION 32 This bill specifies the appropriate uses of the returning 33 dropout and dropout prevention program funding for school 34 districts. The bill also permits up to 5 percent of the total 35 -2- LSB 5940XS (5) 84 kh/sc 2/ 3

S.F. 2155 budgeted amount received by a school district for programs 1 for returning dropouts and dropout prevention to be used for 2 purposes of providing district-wide or building-wide returning 3 dropout and dropout prevention programming targeted to students 4 who are not deemed at risk of dropping out, and provides 5 that tuition for a program offered off school grounds is an 6 appropriate use. 7 Appropriate uses of funding as specified by the department 8 of education’s current administrative rules include salary 9 and benefits for teachers and guidance counselors. The 10 bill includes these items and adds instructional staff, 11 instructional support staff, and school-based youth services 12 staff. The bill also adds that students may be deemed, at 13 any time during the school year, to be at risk of dropping 14 out, which is a qualification for determining the portion of 15 staff time, and resulting payment of salary and benefits from 16 program funds, that is dedicated to and related to the dropout 17 prevention program. 18 The bill also provides that if an alternative setting is 19 necessary to provide for a program which is offered at a 20 location off school grounds and which is intended to serve 21 student needs by improving relationships and connections 22 to school, decreasing truancy and tardiness, providing 23 opportunities for course credit recovery, or helping students 24 identified as at risk of dropping out to accelerate through 25 multiple grade levels of achievement within a shortened time 26 frame, the tuition costs for a student identified as at risk of 27 dropping out shall be considered an appropriate use of program 28 funding. 29 Both the bill and the current administrative rules 30 provide that the following are appropriate uses of funding: 31 professional development for all teachers and staff working 32 with at-risk students and programs involving dropout prevention 33 strategies; and research-based resources, materials, software, 34 supplies, and purchased services that meet specified criteria. 35 -3- LSB 5940XS (5) 84 kh/sc 3/ 3