Senate File 2116 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2116 BY EVANS A BILL FOR An Act relating to open enrollment, including by modifying 1 provisions related to the open enrollment of pupils who 2 are truant or chronically absent and children receiving 3 educational instruction and course content delivered 4 primarily over the internet, and including applicability 5 provisions. 6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 7 TLSB 5869XS (4) 91 jda/jh

S.F. 2116 Section 1. Section 282.18, subsection 13, Code 2026, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 13. a. If a pupil, for whom a request to transfer has 3 been filed with a district, has been suspended or expelled in 4 the district, the pupil shall not be permitted to transfer 5 until the pupil has been reinstated in the sending district. 6 Once the pupil has been reinstated, however, the pupil shall 7 be permitted to transfer in the same manner as if the pupil 8 had not been suspended or expelled by the sending district. 9 If a pupil, for whom a request to transfer has been filed 10 with a district, is expelled in the district, the pupil 11 shall be permitted to transfer to a receiving district under 12 this section if the pupil applies for and is reinstated in 13 the sending district. However, if the pupil applies for 14 reinstatement but is not reinstated in the sending district, 15 the receiving district may deny the request to transfer. The 16 decision of the receiving district is not subject to appeal. 17 b. (1) If a pupil, for whom a request to transfer has been 18 filed with a district, is chronically absent as defined in 19 section 299.12, participating in a school engagement meeting 20 under section 299.12, subsection 3, or currently a party to 21 an absenteeism prevention plan entered into under section 22 299.12, subsection 3, the pupil shall not be permitted to 23 transfer until the pupil is no longer chronically absent, no 24 longer participating in the school engagement meeting, or no 25 longer a party to the absenteeism prevention plan. Once the 26 pupil is no longer chronically absent, no longer participating 27 in the school engagement meeting, and no longer a party to 28 an absenteeism prevention plan, the pupil shall be permitted 29 to transfer in the same manner as if the pupil had not been 30 chronically absent, participating in a school engagement 31 meeting, or a party to an absenteeism prevention plan. 32 (2) Notwithstanding subparagraph (1), a pupil who is 33 chronically absent as defined in section 299.12, participating 34 in a school engagement meeting under section 299.12, subsection 35 -1- LSB 5869XS (4) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3

S.F. 2116 3, or currently a party to an absenteeism prevention plan 1 entered into under section 299.12, subsection 3, and for whom 2 a request to transfer has been filed with a district, may be 3 permitted to transfer if the receiving district approves the 4 request to transfer. 5 Sec. 2. Section 282.18, subsection 17, Code 2026, is amended 6 by striking the subsection. 7 Sec. 3. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to applications 8 and notifications related to open enrollment submitted under 9 section 282.18 on or after the effective date of this Act. 10 EXPLANATION 11 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 12 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 13 This bill relates to open enrollment, including by modifying 14 provisions related to the open enrollment of pupils who are 15 truant or chronically absent and children receiving educational 16 instruction and course content delivered primarily over the 17 internet. 18 The bill provides that if a pupil, for whom a request to 19 open enroll has been filed with a district, is chronically 20 absent as defined in Code section 299.12 (failure to attend), 21 participating in a school engagement meeting under Code section 22 299.12, or currently a party to an absenteeism prevention plan 23 entered into under Code section 299.12, the pupil is prohibited 24 from transferring until the pupil is no longer chronically 25 absent, participating in the school engagement meeting, or a 26 party to the absenteeism prevention plan; provided, however, 27 that the bill authorizes such a pupil to transfer if the 28 receiving district approves the request to transfer. Once the 29 pupil is no longer chronically absent, no longer participating 30 in the school engagement meeting, and no longer a party to 31 an absenteeism prevention plan, the pupil is permitted to 32 transfer. Current Code section 282.18(16) provides that an 33 application for open enrollment may be granted at any time with 34 approval of the resident and receiving districts. The bill 35 -2- LSB 5869XS (4) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3

S.F. 2116 does not modify this provision. 1 Current Code section 282.18(17) provides that the deadlines 2 associated with the submission of open enrollment applications 3 and notifications do not apply to a child whose parent or 4 guardian is filing a notification that the parent or guardian 5 intends to open enroll the child in a public school in 6 another school district for purposes of receiving full-time 7 instruction under Code section 256.43 (online learning program 8 model). The bill strikes this provision. The bill applies 9 to applications and notifications related to open enrollment 10 that are submitted on or after the effective date of the bill. 11 Under current Code section 282.18 (open enrollment), a parent 12 or guardian is required to send notification to the district 13 of residence and the receiving district that the parent or 14 guardian intends to enroll the parent’s or guardian’s child in 15 a public school in another school district by March 1 of the 16 preceding school year for students entering grades 1 through 17 12, or by September 1 of the current school year for students 18 entering kindergarten or for prekindergarten students enrolled 19 in special education programs and included in the school 20 district’s basic enrollment. 21 -3- LSB 5869XS (4) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3