SF 2269 (LSB 5731SV (2) 85)

SENATE FILE 2269

BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

(SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3150)

A BILL FOR

An Act modifying supplementary weighting for shared operational functions of school districts and area education agencies and including effective date provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 257.11, subsection 7, paragraph a, subparagraph (1), Code 2014, is amended to read as follows:
   (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, or social worker, school nurse, 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 shall be assigned a supplementary weighting for each shared operational function.  A school district that shares an operational function in the area of superintendent management shall be assigned a supplementary weighting of eight pupils for the function. A school district that shares an operational function in the area of business management, human resources, transportation, or operation and maintenance shall be assigned a supplementary weighting of five pupils for the function. A school district that shares the operational functions of a curriculum director, school administration manager, or social worker shall be assigned a supplementary weighting of three pupils for the function. The additional weighting shall be assigned for each discrete operational function shared.  However, a school district may receive the additional weighting under this subsection for sharing the services of an individual with a political subdivision even if the type of operational function performed by the individual for the school district and the type of operational function performed by the individual for the political subdivision are not the same operational function, so long as both operational functions are eligible for weighting under this subsection. In such case, the school district shall be assigned the additional weighting for the type of operational function that the individual performs for the school district, and the school district shall not receive additional weighting for any other function performed by the individual. 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.
    Sec. 2.  Section 257.11, subsection 7, paragraphs c and d, Code 2014, are amended to read as follows:
   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 in a budget year is an amount equivalent to forty eighteen 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 in a budget year is fifty thirty 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.
    Sec. 3.  EFFECTIVE UPON ENACTMENT.  This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with

the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   Code section 257.11(7), enacted in 2013 Iowa Acts, chapter 65 (HF 472), established supplementary weighting of 0.02 per pupil for school districts and area education agencies that share with a political subdivision one or more operational functions of a curriculum director, school administration manager, social worker, school nurse, 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 20 percent of the school year. The additional weighting is assigned for each discrete operational function shared. The supplementary weighting 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. Code section 257.11(7) establishes a minimum amount and a maximum amount of additional weighting for which a school district or area education agency may be eligible.
   This bill strikes school nurse, school counselor, and school librarian from the list of operational functions for which supplementary weighting is provided to school districts and area education agencies.
   The bill also strikes the 0.02 per pupil supplementary weighting for school districts and area education agencies and establishes an additional weighting for each shared operational function based on the type of operational function. A school district or area education agency that shares an operational function in the area of superintendent management shall be assigned a supplementary weighting of eight pupils. A school district or area education agency that shares an operational function in the area of business management, human resources, transportation, or operation and maintenance shall be assigned a supplementary weighting of five pupils. A school district or area education agency that shares the operational functions of a curriculum director, a school administration manager, or a social worker shall be assigned a supplementary weighting of three pupils.
   The bill also provides that a school district may receive the additional weighting for sharing the services of an individual with a political subdivision even if the type of operational function performed by the individual for the school district and the type of operational function performed by the individual for the political subdivision are not the same operational function, so long as both operational functions are eligible for weighting under the bill. In such case, the school district shall be assigned the additional weighting for the type of operational function that the individual performs for the school district, and the school district shall not receive additional weighting for any other function performed by the individual.
   The bill strikes the minimum amount of additional weighting for which a school district may be eligible and changes the minimum amount of additional funding for which an area education agency is eligible from $50,000 to $30,000.
   The bill provides that the maximum amount of additional weighting for which a school district is eligible in a budget year is 18 additional pupils.
   The bill also strikes provisions that required certain documentation and reporting of the cost savings directly attributable to shared operational functions and language relating to ongoing operational function sharing agreements that began before July 1, 2014.
   The bill takes effect upon enactment.