HF 68 (LSB 1594YH (2) 91)

HOUSE FILE 68

BY  BOSSMAN

A BILL FOR

An Act modifying provisions related to open enrollment policies and English-language learners.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 282.18, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   c.  Every school district shall adopt a policy which defines the term “insufficient classroom space” for that district.  The definition shall include standards related to the school district’s capacity to provide instruction to English learners, as defined in section 280.4.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill modifies provisions related to open enrollment policies and English-language learners. Current law requires receiving school districts to approve applications for open enrollment that are submitted in a timely manner unless the receiving school district has insufficient classroom space. Current law also requires each school district to adopt a policy that defines insufficient classroom space for purposes of open enrollment. The bill requires the definition of insufficient classroom space adopted by the school district to include standards related to the school district’s capacity to provide instruction to English learners. Under current law, “English learner” means a student whose language background is in a language other than English, and the student’s proficiency in English is such that the probability of the student’s academic success in an English-only classroom is below that of an academically successful peer with an English language background.