HF 472 (LSB 1830HV (1) 85)

HOUSE FILE 472

BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

(SUCCESSOR TO HF 140)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to school district funding by establishing a supplementary weighting program for shared operational functions of school districts and area education agencies.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 257.11, Code 2013, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  6A.  Shared operational functions —— increased student opportunities —— budget years beginning in 2014 through 2019.
   a.
  (1)  In order to provide additional funding to increase student opportunities and redirect more resources to student programming for school districts that share operational functions, a supplementary weighting of two hundredths per pupil shall be assigned to pupils enrolled in a district that shares with a political subdivision one or more operational functions of a curriculum director, school administration manager, mental health therapist, school counselor, or school librarian, or one or more operational functions in the areas of superintendent management, business management, human resources, transportation, or operation and maintenance for at least twenty percent of the school year. The additional weighting shall be assigned for each discrete operational function shared. The operational function sharing arrangement does not need to be a newly implemented sharing arrangement to receive supplementary weighting under this subsection. However, to receive supplementary weighting under this subsection for an ongoing operational function sharing arrangement that began before July 1, 2014, the district shall submit information to the department documenting the cost savings directly attributable to the shared operational functions and describe the district’s consideration of additional shared operational functions.
   (2)  For the purposes of this section, “political subdivision” means a city, township, county, school corporation, merged area, area education agency, institution governed by the state board of regents, or any other governmental subdivision.
   b.  School districts that share operational functions with other school districts are not required to be contiguous school districts. If two or more districts sharing operational functions are not contiguous to each other, the districts separating those districts are not required to be a party to the operational functions sharing arrangement.
   c.  Supplementary weighting pursuant to this subsection shall be available to a school district for a maximum of five years during the period commencing with the budget year beginning July 1, 2014, through the budget year beginning July 1, 2019. The minimum amount of additional weighting for which a school district shall be eligible is an amount equivalent to ten additional pupils, and the maximum amount of additional weighting for which a school district shall be eligible is an amount equivalent to forty additional pupils. Receipt of supplementary weighting by a school district pursuant to this subsection for more than one year shall be contingent upon the annual submission of information by the district to the department documenting cost savings directly attributable to the shared operational functions. Criteria for determining the number of years for which supplementary weighting shall be received pursuant to this subsection, subject to the five-year maximum, and for determining qualification of operational functions for supplementary weighting shall be determined by the department by rule, through consideration of long-term savings by the school district or increased student opportunities.
   d.  Supplementary weighting pursuant to this subsection shall be available to an area education agency for a maximum of five years during the period commencing with the budget year beginning July 1, 2014, through the budget year beginning July 1, 2019. The minimum amount of additional funding for which an area education agency shall be eligible is fifty thousand dollars, and the maximum amount of additional funding for which an area education agency shall be eligible is two hundred thousand dollars. The department of management shall annually set a weighting for each area education agency to generate the approved operational sharing expense using the area education agency’s special education cost per pupil amount and foundation level. Receipt of supplementary weighting by an area education agency for more than one year shall be contingent upon the annual submission of information by the district to the department documenting cost savings directly attributable to the shared operational functions. Criteria for determining the number of years for which supplementary weighting shall be received pursuant to this subsection, subject to the five-year maximum, and the amount generated by the supplementary weighting, and for determining qualification of operational functions for supplementary weighting shall be determined by the department by rule, through consideration of long-term savings by the area education agency or increased student opportunities.
   e.  This subsection is repealed effective July 1, 2020.
EXPLANATION
   This bill enacts Code section 257.11, new subsection 6A, to allow supplementary weighting for school districts and area education agencies that share operational functions. The bill is similar to the supplementary weighting provisions for shared operational functions in current Code section 257.11, subsection 6, which is repealed effective July 1, 2014. The bill provides supplementary weighting of two hundredths per pupil enrolled in a district that shares with a political subdivision one or more operational functions. Under the bill, eligible shared operational functions include the operational functions of a curriculum director, school administration manager, mental health therapist, school counselor, or school librarian, or one or more operational functions in the areas of superintendent management, business management, human resources, transportation, or operation and maintenance. To be eligible for the supplementary weighting, the operational function must be shared for at least 20 percent of the school year. 
   Under the bill, the operational functions sharing arrangement does not need to be a newly implemented sharing arrangement to receive supplementary weighting. However, to receive supplementary weighting under the bill for an ongoing operational functions sharing arrangement that began before July 1, 2014, the district must submit information to the department of education documenting the cost savings directly attributable to the shared operational functions and describe the district’s consideration of additional shared operational functions. 
   The bill does not require school districts that share operational functions with other school districts to be contiguous school districts. In addition, if two or more districts sharing operational functions are not contiguous to each other, the districts separating those districts are not required to be a party to the operational functions sharing arrangement.
   The supplementary weighting provided in the bill is available to a school district for a maximum of five years during the period commencing with the budget year beginning July 1, 2014, through the budget year beginning July 1, 2019. The bill establishes a minimum amount and a maximum amount of additional weighting for which a school district is eligible. In order to receive the supplementary weighting for more than one year, the school district must annually submit information to the department documenting cost savings directly attributable to the shared operational functions. 
   Under the bill, supplementary weighting is available to an area education agency for a maximum of five years during the period commencing with the budget year beginning July 1, 2014, through the budget year beginning July 1, 2019. The bill establishes a minimum amount and a maximum amount of additional weighting for which an area education agency is eligible. In order to receive the supplementary weighting for more than one year, the area education agency must annually submit information to the department documenting cost savings directly attributable to the shared operational functions. The bill requires the department of management to annually set a weighting for each area education agency to generate the approved operational sharing expense using the area education agency’s special education cost per pupil amount and foundation level.
   The bill provides that Code section 257.11, new subsection 6A, is repealed effective July 1, 2020.