HF 373 (LSB 1444YH (3) 89)

HOUSE FILE 373

BY  WINCKLER, DONAHUE, CAHILL, HANSEN, STAED, KURTH, STECKMAN, WILLIAMS, WOLFE, BROWN-POWERS, MASCHER, THEDE, WILBURN, McCONKEY, ABDUL-SAMAD, and JACOBY

A BILL FOR

An Act providing low-income pupil supplementary weighting for school districts and including effective date and applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 257.11, Code 2021, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  7A.  Supplementary weighting for low-income pupils.
   a.  In order to provide additional funding to school districts for the increased costs related to providing educational instruction and services to low-income pupils, supplementary weighting for such pupils shall be assigned under this subsection and included in the school district’s weighted enrollment under section 257.6, subsection 5.
   b.  (1)  A supplementary weighting of two-tenths shall be assigned to each pupil, as reported by the school district on the basic educational data survey for the base year, who is eligible for reduced price meals under the federal National School Lunch Act and the federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §1751-1785.
   (2)  A supplementary weighting of four-tenths shall be assigned to each pupil, as reported by the school district on the basic educational data survey for the base year, who is eligible for free meals under the federal National School Lunch Act and the federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §1751-1785.
   c.  Amounts received as supplementary weighting under this subsection are in addition to amounts received under the supplementary weighting received under subsection 4 and may be used by the school district for any school general fund purpose.
    Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
    Sec. 3.  APPLICABILITY.  This Act applies to school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2021.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill establishes supplementary weighting for low-income pupils to provide additional funding through the school funding formula to school districts for the increased costs related to providing educational instruction and services to low-income pupils. Under the bill, a supplementary weighting of 0.2 is assigned to each pupil in the school district who is eligible for reduced price meals under federal law and a supplementary weighting of 0.4 is assigned to each pupil in the school district who is eligible for free meals under federal law. Amounts received as supplementary weighting under the bill may be used by the school district for any school general fund purpose.
   The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies to school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2021.