Senate File 37 - Introduced SENATE FILE 37 BY JOHNSON , KAPUCIAN , and KETTERING A BILL FOR An Act relating to early school starts and including effective 1 date and applicability provisions. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1544SS (4) 84 kh/rj

S.F. 37 Section 1. Section 257.17, Code 2011, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 257.17 Aid reduction for early school starts. 3 State aid payments made pursuant to section 257.16 for a 4 fiscal year shall be reduced by one one-hundred-eightieth for 5 each day of that fiscal year for which the school district 6 begins school before the earliest starting date specified in 7 section 279.10, subsection 1 . However, this section does 8 not apply to a school district that has received approval 9 from the director of the department of education under for a 10 pilot program for an innovative school year in accordance with 11 section 279.10, subsection 4 , to commence classes for regularly 12 established elementary and secondary schools in advance of the 13 starting date established in section 279.10, subsection 1 3 . 14 Sec. 2. Section 279.10, subsection 1, Code 2011, is amended 15 to read as follows: 16 1. The school year shall begin on the first day of July 17 and each regularly established elementary and secondary school 18 shall begin no sooner than a day during the calendar week in 19 which the first day of September falls August 25 but no later 20 than the first Monday in December unless the school district 21 has received approval from the department of education for a 22 pilot program in accordance with subsection 3 . However, if the 23 first day of September falls on a Sunday, school may begin on 24 a day during the calendar week which immediately precedes the 25 first day of September. School shall continue for at least one 26 hundred eighty days, except as provided in subsection 3 , and 27 may be maintained during the entire calendar year. However, 28 if the board of directors of a district extends the school 29 calendar because inclement weather caused the district to 30 temporarily close school during the regular school calendar, 31 the district may excuse a graduating senior who has met 32 district or school requirements for graduation from attendance 33 during the extended school calendar. A school corporation 34 may begin employment of personnel for in-service training and 35 -1- LSB 1544SS (4) 84 kh/rj 1/ 2

S.F. 37 development purposes before the date to begin elementary and 1 secondary school. 2 Sec. 3. Section 279.10, subsection 2, Code 2011, is amended 3 to read as follows: 4 2. The board of directors shall hold a public hearing on 5 any proposal request made pursuant to subsection 3 prior to 6 submitting it to the department of education for approval. 7 Sec. 4. Section 279.10, subsection 4, Code 2011, is amended 8 by striking the subsection. 9 Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATES. The section of this Act that 10 amends section 279.10, subsection 2, being deemed of immediate 11 importance, takes effect upon enactment, and the remainder of 12 this Act takes effect July 1, 2012, and is applicable for 13 school years beginning on or after that date. 14 EXPLANATION 15 This bill changes, effective for the school year beginning 16 July 1, 2012, the earliest school start date to August 25 and 17 eliminates the authority of the director of the department of 18 education to grant a request made by a board of directors of 19 a school district to commence classes prior to the earliest 20 starting date allowed, which currently is no sooner than a day 21 during the calendar week in which the first day of September 22 falls or, if the first day of September falls on a Sunday, a day 23 during the prior week. 24 The bill makes a conforming change to eliminate an 25 exemption from aid reduction for early school starts, unless 26 the exemption is for a school district approved to implement 27 an innovative school year. Without the waiver, the school 28 district’s state aid payments are reduced by 1/180 for each day 29 of that fiscal year for which the school district begins school 30 before the earliest starting date allowed. The bill includes a 31 technical correction that takes effect upon enactment. 32 -2- LSB 1544SS (4) 84 kh/rj 2/ 2