HSB 574 (LSB 5120YC (4) 89)

HOUSE FILE _____ 

BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON HITE)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the beginning date of the school calendar for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 279.10, subsection 1, Code 2022, 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. 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. The board of directors of a school district shall hold a public hearing on any proposed school calendar prior to adopting the school calendar and, if the school calendar begins on or after June 1, and prior to August 15, shall adopt the school calendar before February 1 of the preceding school year. 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.  REPEAL.  Section 257.17, Code 2022, is repealed.
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 the beginning date of the school calendar for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools.
   Current law provides that the school calendar for each school district and accredited nonpublic school shall begin no sooner than August 23 and no later than the first Monday in December. The bill removes the requirement that the school calendar begin no sooner than August 23. Additionally, the bill provides that, if a school district’s school calendar begins on or after June 1, and prior to August 15, the school district’s board of directors shall adopt the school calendar before February 1 of the preceding school year.
   The bill repeals Code section 257.17, which provides for the reduction of state aid payments to a school district if the school district begins school prior to August 23.