House
Study
Bill
559
-
Introduced
SENATE/HOUSE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
DEPARTMENT
OF
EDUCATION
BILL)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
school
instructional
time.
1
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
2
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5213DP
(5)
85
je/rj
S.F.
_____
H.F.
_____
Section
1.
Section
256.7,
subsection
19,
Code
2013,
as
1
amended
by
2013
Iowa
Acts,
chapter
121,
section
79,
is
amended
2
to
read
as
follows:
3
19.
Define
For
a
school
or
school
district
with
a
school
4
calendar
measuring
instructional
time
in
days
pursuant
to
5
section
279.10,
subsection
1,
define
the
minimum
school
day
as
6
a
day
consisting
of
six
hours
of
instructional
days
or
time
7
for
grades
one
through
twelve.
The
minimum
hours
as
time
that
8
shall
be
exclusive
of
the
lunch
period,
but
may
include
passing
9
time
between
classes.
Time
spent
on
parent-teacher
conferences
10
shall
be
considered
instructional
time.
A
school
or
school
11
district
may
record
a
day
of
school
with
less
than
the
minimum
12
instructional
hours
as
a
minimum
school
day
if
any
of
the
13
following
apply:
14
a.
If
emergency
health
or
safety
factors
require
the
late
15
arrival
or
early
dismissal
of
students
on
a
specific
day.
16
b.
If
the
total
hours
of
instructional
school
time
for
17
grades
one
through
twelve
for
any
five
consecutive
school
18
days
equal
a
minimum
of
thirty
hours,
even
though
any
one
19
day
of
school
is
less
than
the
minimum
instructional
hours
20
because
of
a
staff
development
opportunity
provided
for
the
21
professional
instructional
staff
or
because
parent-teacher
22
conferences
have
been
scheduled
beyond
the
regular
school
day.
23
Furthermore,
if
the
total
hours
of
instructional
time
for
the
24
first
four
consecutive
days
equal
at
least
thirty
hours
because
25
parent-teacher
conferences
have
been
scheduled
beyond
the
26
regular
school
day,
a
school
or
school
district
may
record
zero
27
hours
of
instructional
time
on
the
fifth
consecutive
school
day
28
as
a
minimum
school
day.
29
Sec.
2.
Section
279.10,
subsection
4,
Code
2014,
is
amended
30
to
read
as
follows:
31
4.
The
director
of
the
department
of
education
may
grant
32
a
request
made
by
a
board
of
directors
of
a
school
district
33
or
the
authorities
in
charge
of
an
accredited
nonpublic
34
school
stating
its
desire
to
commence
classes
for
regularly
35
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S.F.
_____
H.F.
_____
established
elementary
and
secondary
schools
prior
to
the
1
earliest
starting
date
specified
in
subsection
1
.
A
request
2
shall
be
based
upon
the
determination
that
a
starting
date
on
3
or
after
the
earliest
starting
date
specified
in
subsection
1
4
would
have
a
significant
negative
educational
impact.
5
EXPLANATION
6
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
7
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
8
This
bill
restores
language
struck
by
2013
Iowa
Acts,
9
chapter
121
(House
File
215)
that
permits
a
school
or
school
10
district
with
a
school
calendar
measuring
instructional
11
time
in
days
to
record
a
day
of
school
with
less
than
the
12
minimum
instructional
hours
as
a
minimum
school
day
for
13
emergency
health
or
safety
factors
and
for
staff
development
14
opportunities
and
parent-teacher
conferences.
However,
the
15
bill
provides
that
a
minimum
school
day
shall
consist
of
six
16
hours
of
instructional
time.
17
The
bill
also
provides
that
the
department
of
education
18
may
grant
a
request
made
by
the
authorities
in
charge
of
an
19
accredited
nonpublic
school
to
start
school
earlier
than
the
20
statutory
school
start
date
during
the
calendar
week
in
which
21
the
first
day
of
September
falls.
22
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