House File 274 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 274 BY DOLECHECK A BILL FOR An Act relating to kindergarten programs offered by school 1 districts. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2275YH (3) 86 kh/rj

H.F. 274 Section 1. Section 256.7, subsection 19, unnumbered 1 paragraph 1, Code 2015, is amended to read as follows: 2 For a school or school district with a school calendar 3 measuring instructional time in days pursuant to section 4 279.10, subsection 1 , define the minimum school day as a day 5 consisting of six hours of instructional time for grades one 6 kindergarten through grade twelve. The minimum hours shall be 7 exclusive of the lunch period, but may include passing time 8 between classes. Time spent on parent-teacher conferences 9 shall be considered instructional time. A school or school 10 district may record a day of school with less than the minimum 11 instructional hours as a minimum school day if any of the 12 following apply: 13 Sec. 2. Section 256.7, subsection 19, paragraph b, Code 14 2015, is amended to read as follows: 15 b. If the total hours of instructional school time for 16 grades one kindergarten through grade twelve for any five 17 consecutive school days equal a minimum of thirty hours, 18 even though any one day of school is less than the minimum 19 instructional hours because of a staff development opportunity 20 provided for the professional instructional staff or because 21 parent-teacher conferences have been scheduled beyond the 22 regular school day. Furthermore, if the total hours of 23 instructional time for the first four consecutive days equal at 24 least thirty hours because parent-teacher conferences have been 25 scheduled beyond the regular school day, a school or school 26 district may record zero hours of instructional time on the 27 fifth consecutive school day as a minimum school day. 28 Sec. 3. Section 256.9, subsection 33, paragraph a, 29 subparagraphs (2) and (3), Code 2015, are amended to read as 30 follows: 31 (2) Assist school districts in the development of child 32 care services and programs to complement half-day and all-day 33 kindergarten programs. 34 (3) Assist school districts in the development of 35 -1- LSB 2275YH (3) 86 kh/rj 1/ 3

H.F. 274 appropriate curricula for all-day, everyday kindergarten 1 programs. 2 Sec. 4. Section 256D.2A, Code 2015, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 256D.2A Program funding. 5 For the budget year beginning July 1, 2009, and each 6 succeeding budget year, a school district shall expend funds 7 received pursuant to section 257.10, subsection 11 , at the 8 kindergarten through grade three levels to reduce class sizes 9 to the state goal of seventeen students for every one teacher 10 and to achieve a higher level of student success in the basic 11 skills, especially reading. In order to support these efforts, 12 school districts may expend funds received pursuant to section 13 257.10, subsection 11 , at the kindergarten through grade three 14 level on programs, instructional support, and materials that 15 include but are not limited to the following: additional 16 licensed instructional staff; additional support for students, 17 such as before and after school programs, tutoring, and 18 intensive summer programs; the acquisition and administration 19 of diagnostic reading assessments; the implementation of 20 research-based instructional intervention programs for students 21 needing additional support; the implementation of all-day, 22 everyday kindergarten programs; and the provision of classroom 23 teachers with intensive training programs to improve reading 24 instruction and professional development in best practices 25 including but not limited to training programs related to 26 instruction to increase students’ phonemic awareness, reading 27 abilities, and comprehension skills. 28 Sec. 5. Section 279.51, subsection 2, paragraph a, 29 subparagraph (2), subparagraph division (a), Code 2015, is 30 amended to read as follows: 31 (a) To school districts to establish programs for 32 three-year-old, four-year-old, and five-year-old at-risk 33 children which are a combination of preschool and full-day 34 kindergarten. 35 -2- LSB 2275YH (3) 86 kh/rj 2/ 3

H.F. 274 EXPLANATION 1 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 This bill makes kindergarten programs offered by school 4 districts subject to the minimum school day and instructional 5 requirements that currently apply to grades 1 through 12. The 6 bill eliminates references to half-day, full-day, and everyday 7 kindergarten programs. 8 Currently, students enrolled in kindergarten, whether in 9 full-day or half-day programs, are counted as one pupil for 10 purposes of state school foundation aid received by a school 11 district pursuant to Code chapter 257. 12 -3- LSB 2275YH (3) 86 kh/rj 3/ 3