House File 141 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 141 BY WINCKLER , GASKILL , STAED , R. SMITH , ABDUL-SAMAD , KACENA , BROWN-POWERS , LENSING , STECKMAN , HUNTER , HANSON , ANDERSON , KEARNS , OURTH , BEARINGER , WOLFE , JACOBY , MASCHER , GAINES , and MILLER A BILL FOR An Act authorizing a voter-approved increase in the regular 1 program district cost per pupil and including applicability 2 provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1462YH (7) 87 md/sc

H.F. 141 Section 1. Section 257.10, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code 1 2017, is amended to read as follows: 2 b. If the regular program district cost per pupil of a 3 school district for the budget year under paragraph “a” exceeds 4 one hundred five percent of the regular program state cost 5 per pupil for the budget year and the state percent of growth 6 for the budget year is greater than two percent, the regular 7 program district cost per pupil for the budget year for that 8 district shall be reduced to one hundred five percent of the 9 regular program state cost per pupil for the budget year. 10 However, under such conditions, if the difference between the 11 regular program district cost per pupil for the budget year and 12 the regular program state cost per pupil for the budget year 13 is greater than an amount equal to two percent multiplied by 14 the regular program state cost per pupil for the base year, the 15 regular program district cost per pupil for the budget year 16 shall be reduced by the amount equal to two percent multiplied 17 by the regular program state cost per pupil for the base year. 18 Sec. 2. Section 257.10, subsection 2, Code 2017, is amended 19 by adding the following new paragraph: 20 NEW PARAGRAPH . c. (1) In order to provide regular 21 program district cost per pupil equity among all school 22 districts in the state, following approval at election under 23 subparagraph (2), the regular program district cost per pupil 24 for a district shall be increased by the amount per pupil 25 approved at election, not to exceed the amount authorized under 26 subparagraph (3). 27 (2) The board of directors of a school district may, on 28 its own motion, or shall, upon receipt of a petition signed by 29 eligible electors equal in number to at least thirty percent of 30 the number of voters who voted at the last preceding regular 31 school election, direct the county commissioner of elections 32 to submit to the registered voters of the school district the 33 question of whether to increase the school district’s regular 34 program district cost per pupil. The ballot shall specify 35 -1- LSB 1462YH (7) 87 md/sc 1/ 4

H.F. 141 the amount by which the regular program district cost per 1 pupil is to be increased, not to exceed the limitation under 2 subparagraph (3), and the budget year for which the increase 3 will take effect. The question shall be submitted at an 4 election held on a date specified in section 39.2, subsection 5 4, paragraph “c” . If a majority of the votes cast upon the 6 proposition is in favor of the proposition, the department of 7 management shall increase the school district’s regular program 8 district cost per pupil by the amount approved by the voters 9 beginning with the budget year specified on the ballot. For 10 an increase to apply to a budget year, the election approving 11 the increase must occur before the school district’s budget 12 for that budget year is certified under section 24.17. When 13 a proposition to authorize an increase in a school district’s 14 regular program district cost per pupil has been submitted to 15 the electors under this section and the proposition fails to 16 gain approval, a proposition under this paragraph shall not be 17 submitted to the electors for a period of six months from the 18 date of election at which the proposition failed. 19 (3) The amount by which a school district’s regular program 20 district cost per pupil may be increased under this paragraph 21 shall not exceed an amount equal to the difference between the 22 school district’s regular program district cost per pupil and 23 the highest regular program district cost per pupil among all 24 school districts in the state. 25 Sec. 3. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to school budget 26 years beginning on or after July 1, 2018. 27 EXPLANATION 28 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 29 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 30 This bill authorizes the voters of a school district to 31 approve an increase in a school district’s regular program 32 district cost per pupil, subject to limitations established in 33 the bill. 34 The board of directors of a school district may, on its 35 -2- LSB 1462YH (7) 87 md/sc 2/ 4

H.F. 141 own motion, or shall, upon receipt of a petition signed by 1 eligible electors equal in number to at least 30 percent of 2 the number of voters who voted at the last preceding regular 3 school election, direct the county commissioner of elections 4 to submit to the registered voters of the school district the 5 question of whether to increase the school district’s regular 6 program district cost per pupil. The ballot must specify the 7 amount by which the regular program district cost per pupil 8 is to be increased and the budget year for which the increase 9 will take effect. If a majority of the votes cast upon the 10 proposition is in favor of the proposition, the department 11 of management is required to increase the school district’s 12 regular program district cost per pupil by the amount approved 13 by the voters beginning with the budget year specified on the 14 ballot. However, for an increase to apply to a budget year, 15 the election approving the increase must occur before the 16 school district’s budget for that budget year is certified 17 under Code section 24.17. 18 When a proposition to authorize an increase in a school 19 district’s regular program district cost per pupil has been 20 submitted to the electors and the proposition fails to gain 21 approval, another proposition may not be submitted to the 22 electors for a period of six months from the date of election 23 at which the proposition failed. 24 Under the bill, the amount by which a school district’s 25 regular program district cost per pupil may be increased shall 26 not exceed an amount equal to the difference between the school 27 district’s regular program district cost per pupil and the 28 highest regular program district cost per pupil among all 29 school districts in the state. 30 The bill also specifies that existing Code language related 31 to adjustments to a school district’s regular program district 32 cost per pupil if certain conditions are met provides for a 33 different adjustment if certain other conditions are met. 34 The bill applies to school budget years beginning on or after 35 -3- LSB 1462YH (7) 87 md/sc 3/ 4