SF 121 (LSB 1831XS (2) 87)

SENATE FILE 121

BY  PETERSEN

A BILL FOR

An Act providing for additional weighting for eligible students identified as limited English proficient who are enrolled in the statewide preschool program for four-year-old children.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 256C.5, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  0d.  “Preschool budget weighted enrollment” means the sum of the preschool budget enrollment plus the supplementary weighting received under section 280.4, subsection 4.
    Sec. 2.  Section 256C.5, subsection 1, paragraph d, Code 2017, is amended to read as follows:
   d.  “Preschool foundation aid” means the product of the regular program state cost per pupil for the budget year multiplied by the school district’s preschool budget weighted enrollment.
    Sec. 3.  Section 280.4, subsection 3, paragraph b, Code 2017, is amended to read as follows:
   b.  For students enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve who are first determined to be limited English proficient for a budget year beginning on or after July 1, 2010, 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, does not include additional weighting received for all or part of a year under subsection 4, and a student’s eligibility for the additional weighting is transferable to another district of residence.
    Sec. 4.  Section 280.4, Code 2017, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  4.  For a budget year beginning on or after July 1, 2017, in order to provide funds for the excess costs of instruction of limited English proficient students, eligible students, as defined in section 256C.5, who are enrolled in the statewide preschool program under chapter 256C and who have been identified as limited English proficient shall be assigned an additional weighting equivalent to one-half of the additional weighting specified in subsection 3, paragraph “a”, and that weighting shall be included in the preschool budget weighted enrollment, as defined in section 256C.5, of the school district of residence for the period of time the child is an eligible student as defined in section 256C.5.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill provides for additional weighting for students who are enrolled in the statewide preschool program for four-year-old children if they are identified as limited English proficient.
   The bill provides that the additional weighting shall be equivalent to one-half the amount assigned to students in kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) who are identified as limited English proficient. Currently, such K-12 students are assigned additional weighting of twenty-two hundredths. The additional weighting shall be included in the preschool budget weighted enrollment, as defined in the bill, of the school district of residence for the budget year for which the eligible student is determined to be limited English proficient. The five years of limited English proficiency weighting received under current law for students in K-12 does not include the year of limited English proficiency weighting received for an eligible student enrolled in the statewide preschool program for four-year-old children.