HF 730 (LSB 2531YH (4) 91)

HOUSE FILE 730

BY  MATSON, EHLERT, LEVIN, MADISON, KURTH, and GJERDE

A BILL FOR

An Act requiring the director of the department of education to establish a special education weighting work group.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  SPECIAL EDUCATION WEIGHTING WORK GROUP.
   1.  School funding in Iowa has not evolved as the demographics of Iowa students have changed significantly, with little attention paid to supporting the special education needs of students. In order to meet the needs of such students and to ensure access to special education across school districts, the special education weighting work group shall review the special education weighting plan under section 256B.9, which has not been altered since 2004, and shall consider ways to increase special education weightings.
   2.  The school finance review committee met on December 16, 2024, and received a memo from the school budget review committee that discussed how a review of special education funding should be conducted.
   3.  The director of the department of education shall establish and appoint members to a work group to make recommendations to modify the special education weighting plan. The department of education shall work cooperatively to provide staffing assistance for the work group. The work group shall be composed of at least all of the following:
   a.  One member representing the Iowa association of school boards.
   b.  One member representing the area education agencies.
   c.  One member representing the Iowa state education association.
   d.  One member representing the school administrators of Iowa.
   e.  One member representing the urban education network of Iowa.
   f.  One member representing the rural school advocates of Iowa.
   g.  One member representing the professional educators of Iowa.
   h.  One representative of the school district with the highest basic enrollment under section 257.6 for the school budget year beginning July 1, 2024.
   i.  One representative of a school district with a basic enrollment under section 257.6 for the school budget year beginning July 1, 2024, that is ranked in the highest one-third among all school districts in the state.
   j.  One representative of a school district with a basic enrollment under section 257.6 for the school budget year beginning July 1, 2024, that is ranked in the middle one-third among all school districts in the state.
   k.  One representative of a school district with a basic enrollment under section 257.6 for the school budget year beginning July 1, 2024, that is ranked in the lowest one-third among all school districts in the state.
   l.  One representative of a school district located in whole or in part less than one hundred miles from the eastern border of this state.
   m.  One representative of a school district located in whole or in part more than one hundred miles from both the eastern border of this state and the western border of this state.
   n.  One representative of a school district located in whole or in part less than one hundred miles from the western border of this state.
   o.  Four ex officio, nonvoting legislative members consisting of the following:
   (1)  Two state senators, one appointed by the majority leader of the senate and one appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
   (2)  Two state representatives, one appointed by the speaker and one appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives.
   4.  By January 2, 2026, the work group shall submit recommendations to the general assembly and the governor for adjustments to the special education weightings.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with

the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill directs the director of the department of education to establish and appoint members to a special education weighting plan work group to review the special education weighting plan under Code section 256B.9, and shall consider ways to increase special education weightings. The bill directs the department of education to work cooperatively to provide staffing assistance for the work group and establishes the minimum persons comprising the work group. By January 2, 2026, the work group is required to submit recommendations to the general assembly and the governor for adjustments to special education weightings.