SENATE FILE 382

BY  BOETTGER

A BILL FOR

An Act establishing a pilot program relating to state aid funding for special education support services, media services, educational services, area education agency professional development supplement, and area education agency teacher salary supplement, allowing certain school districts to select the method of providing services the funding supports, and including applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

   Section 1.  SCHOOL DISTRICT SERVICES AND FUNDING —— PILOT PROGRAM
   1.
  a.  The department of education shall establish a pilot program for school districts to provide special education support services, media services, and educational services in accordance with this section. A school district interested in participating in the pilot program shall prepare a plan for providing such services and submit the plan along with an application to the department of education, on a form prescribed by the department, not later than February 1, 2012. The department shall not approve more than ten applications for participation in the pilot program, and not more than two applications may be approved for school districts located within the same area education agency.
   b.  Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 257 to the contrary, for school budget years beginning on July 1, 2012, July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014, the state aid funding for special education support services, media services, and educational services, as calculated under chapter 257, shall be paid directly to the applicable school districts approved under paragraph “a”.
   2.  A school district approved by the department of education and receiving funding under subsection 1 shall choose one of the following options:
   a.  A school district may provide its own special education services, media services, and educational services, as those services are described in chapter 273. However, the school district shall not receive funding for its costs that exceeds the amount determined under subsection 1, except for funds received from another school district for providing special education services, media services, or educational services to such other school district.
   b.  A school district may contract with organizations, including other school districts and area education agencies, to provide special education services, media services, and educational services, as those services are described in chapter 273. However, the school district contracting for such services shall not receive funding for its costs that exceeds the amount determined under subsection 1.
   3.  The department of education shall distribute the appropriate amount of area education agency professional development supplement and area education agency teacher salary supplement funding to a school district if an area education agency contracts to provide the services.
   4.  Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 273 to the contrary, for school budget years beginning on July 1, 2012, July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014, an area education agency or other organization shall receive state aid funding for providing special education support services, media services, and educational services from the school districts participating in the pilot program and for which the area education agency or organization has contracted to provide such services. Area education agencies and other organizations may submit bids for providing special education support services, media services, and educational services to the participating school districts in a process to be determined by the department of education by rule under chapter 17A.
   5.  School districts approved to participate in the pilot program shall provide such special education support services, media services, and educational services in accordance with this section and rules adopted by the department of education for the school budget years beginning on July 1, 2012, July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014. For school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2015, the participating school districts shall provide such services according to chapters 257 and 273.
   6.  The department of education shall review and analyze the pilot program and submit a report to the general assembly on or before October 1, 2015. The report shall include recommendations relating to statewide implementation of the pilot program.
EXPLANATION
   This bill establishes a pilot program which directs state aid funding for special education support services, media services, educational services, area education agency professional development supplement, and area education agency teacher salary supplement to the applicable school districts approved for participation in the pilot program by the department of education.
   A school district interested in participating in the pilot program is required to prepare a plan for providing special education support services, media services, and educational services, and submit the plan along with an application to the department of education not later than February 1, 2012. The department shall not approve more than ten applications for participation in the pilot program, and not more than two applications may be approved for school districts located within the same area education agency.
   The bill allows a participating school district to provide its own services. A school district may also bid to provide services to participating school districts. A participating school district may also contract with organizations to receive these services. If a school district provides its own special education support services, media services, or educational services, it shall not receive funding that exceeds the amount determined under Code chapter 257. An area education agency (AEA) or organization that successfully contracts to provide these services to a participating school district will receive the appropriate amount of funding from the school district with which the organization has contracted. The department of education is tasked with developing a bid process by rule.
   Under the pilot program, participating school districts shall provide such special education support services, media services, and educational services in accordance with the bill for the school budget years beginning on July 1, 2012, July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014. For school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2015, the participating school districts shall provide such services according to Code chapters 257 and 273.
   The bill directs the department of education to review and analyze the pilot program and submit a report to the general assembly on or before October 1, 2015.