SF 2010 (LSB 5116XS (2) 86)

SENATE FILE 2010

BY  PETERSEN

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the supplementary weighting for limited English proficient students and including effective date and applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 257.31, subsection 5, paragraph j, Code 2016, is amended to read as follows:
   j.  Unusual need to continue providing a program or other special assistance to non-English speaking pupils after the expiration of the five-year period of years specified in section 280.4.
    Sec. 2.  Section 280.4, subsection 3, Code 2016, is amended to read as follows:
   3.  a.  In order to provide funds for the excess costs of instruction of limited English proficient students specified in paragraph “b” above the costs of instruction of pupils in a regular curriculum, students identified as limited English proficient shall be assigned an additional weighting of twenty-two hundredths three-tenths, and that weighting shall be included in the weighted enrollment of the school district of residence for a period not exceeding five the period of years specified in paragraph “b”. However, the school budget review committee may grant supplemental aid or a modified supplemental amount to a school district to continue funding a program for students after the expiration of the five-year specified period of years.
   b.  (1)  For students first determined to be limited English proficient for a budget year beginning on or after July 1, 2010, but before July 1, 2016, the additional weighting provided under paragraph “a” shall be included in the weighted enrollment of the school district of residence for a cumulative period of time not exceeding five years beginning with the budget year for which the student was first determined to be limited English proficient. The five years of eligibility for the additional weighting need not be consecutive and a student’s eligibility for the additional weighting is transferable to another district of residence.
   (2)  For students first determined to be limited English proficient for the budget year beginning on July 1, 2016, the additional weighting provided under paragraph “a” shall be included in the weighted enrollment of the school district of residence for a period not exceeding six years beginning with the budget year for which the student was first determined to be limited English proficient.
   (3)  For students first determined to be limited English proficient for a budget year beginning on or after July 1, 2017, the additional weighting provided under paragraph “a” shall be included in the weighted enrollment of the school district of residence for a period not exceeding seven years beginning with the budget year for which the student was first determined to be limited English proficient.
    Sec. 3.  EFFECTIVE UPON ENACTMENT.  This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
    Sec. 4.  APPLICABILITY.  This Act applies to school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2016.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with

the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to limited English proficient education by modifying the supplementary weighting for limited English proficient students.
   Current Code section 280.4 provides supplementary weighting for the excess costs of instruction of limited English proficient students. The current amount of the supplementary weighting for students identified as limited English proficient is 0.22 per student. The weighting is provided for those students first determined to be limited English proficient for a budget year beginning on or after July 1, 2010, and may be included in the weighted enrollment of the school district for a period not exceeding five years.
   The bill increases the amount of the supplementary weighting for those students identified as limited English proficient to 0.30 per student.
   The bill also increases the number of years during which the additional weighting may be included in the school district’s weighted enrollment. For students first determined to be limited English proficient for the budget year beginning on July 1, 2016, the additional weighting may be included for a period not exceeding six years. For students first determined to be limited English proficient for a budget year beginning on or after July 1, 2017, the additional weighting may be included for a period not exceeding seven years.
   The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies to school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2016.