SF 258 (LSB 1864XS (4) 90)

SENATE FILE 258

BY  DONAHUE, TRONE GARRIOTT, BOULTON, DOTZLER, BISIGNANO, T. TAYLOR, PETERSEN, WEINER, QUIRMBACH, WAHLS, JOCHUM, CELSI, and GIDDENS

A BILL FOR

An Act providing for boards of directors of school districts to include nonvoting student representatives.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 256.9, Code 2023, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  66.  Develop and distribute to all school districts a model program for the effective incorporation of a student who is appointed to serve on the board of directors of a school district as a nonvoting student representative pursuant to section 279.4A. The model program shall include suggested methods for an application and selection process for the position of nonvoting student representative.
    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  279.4A  Nonvoting student representative.
   1.  The board of directors of each school district shall appoint at least one nonvoting student representative to serve on the board of directors for a term of one year if the student is enrolled in grade eleven or for a term of two years if the student is enrolled in grade ten. The board of directors of a school district shall develop an application and selection process based on the model program developed pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 66.
   2.  A nonvoting student representative shall have a seat at the table of all board meetings and board subcommittee meetings, shall have access to all nonconfidential board meeting materials, and shall be allowed to participate in any orientation provided to administrators or members of the board of directors.
   3.  A nonvoting student representative may advocate for student interests in board meetings, provide school administrators and board members with student viewpoints, assist in developing and monitoring the implementation of education policy, and volunteer to perform other functions of benefit to the students and the school district that the board deems appropriate for the nonvoting student representative to carry out.
   4.  Students enrolled in a school district in either grade ten or eleven may apply to the board of directors of the school district to serve as a nonvoting student representative.
   5.  A vacancy in the position of a nonvoting student representative shall not be filled until the expiration of the nonvoting student representative’s term.
   6.  The board of directors of a school district shall notify the parents or guardians of a nonvoting student representative if the nonvoting student representative’s grade point average falls during the period in which the nonvoting student representative serves on the board of directors of the school district.
   7.  A nonvoting student representative shall have been enrolled in the school district for at least one year prior to the student representative’s appointment.
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 boards of directors of school districts to include nonvoting student representatives.
   The bill requires the board of directors of each school district to appoint at least one nonvoting student representative to serve on the board for a term of one year if the student is enrolled in grade 11 or for a term of two years if the student is enrolled in grade 10. The bill also requires the board to develop an application and selection process for the nonvoting student representative that is based on a model program the bill requires the director of the department of education to develop.
   The bill provides that a nonvoting student representative shall have a seat at the table of all board meetings and board subcommittee meetings, have access to all nonconfidential board meeting materials, and be allowed to participate in any orientation provided to administrators or members of the board. The bill authorizes a nonvoting student representative to advocate for student interests in board meetings, provide school administrators and board members with student viewpoints, assist in developing and monitoring the implementation of education policy, and volunteer to perform other functions of benefit to the students and the school district.
   The bill provides that students enrolled in a school district in either grade 10 or 11 may apply to the board to serve as a nonvoting student representative. Additionally, the bill provides that a vacancy in the position of a nonvoting student representative shall not be filled until the expiration of the nonvoting student representative’s term.
   The bill requires the board to notify the parents or guardians of a nonvoting student representative if the nonvoting student representative’s grade point average falls during the period in which the nonvoting student representative serves on the board.
   The bill provides that a nonvoting student representative shall have been enrolled in the school district for at least one year prior to the student representative’s appointment.