SF 2063 (LSB 5121XS (4) 87)

SENATE FILE 2063

BY  FEENSTRA

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the school start date and including effective date provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 279.10, subsection 1, Code 2018, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  The school year for each school district and accredited nonpublic school shall begin on July 1 and the school calendar shall begin no sooner than August 23 and no later than the first Monday in December. If, however, August 23 falls on a Thursday or Friday, the school calendar may begin on the preceding Wednesday.  The school calendar shall include not less than one hundred eighty days or one thousand eighty hours of instruction during the calendar year. The board of directors of a school district and the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school shall determine the school start date for the school calendar in accordance with this subsection and shall set the number of days or hours of required attendance for the school year as provided in section 299.1, subsection 2, but the board of directors of a school district shall hold a public hearing on any proposed school calendar prior to adopting the school calendar. If the board of directors of a district or the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school extends the school calendar because inclement weather caused the school district or accredited nonpublic school to temporarily close during the regular school calendar, the school district or accredited nonpublic school may excuse a graduating senior who has met district or school requirements for graduation from attendance during the extended school calendar. A school corporation may begin employment of personnel for in-service training and development purposes before the date to begin elementary and secondary school.
    Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  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.
   This bill allows a school district or accredited nonpublic school to start its school calendar on the Wednesday before August 23 if August 23 falls on a Thursday or Friday.
   The bill takes effect upon enactment.