Senate File 2404 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2404 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 2181) (COMPANION TO HF 2003 BY WILLS) A BILL FOR An Act requiring the department of education to develop and 1 administer a pilot program that requires certain specified 2 school districts to establish attendance centers for 3 students requiring special education and students with 4 behavioral issues. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 5556SV (1) 91 jda/jh

S.F. 2404 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 256.20 Schools for students 1 requiring special education or students with behavioral issues 2 —— pilot project. 3 1. The department shall develop and administer a pilot 4 program that requires a rural school district and an urban 5 school district to each establish an attendance center to 6 be used to provide educational services, including special 7 education services, to eligible students who are enrolled 8 in the rural school district or urban school district, as 9 applicable. 10 2. The department shall determine the rural school district 11 and urban school district that will be required to participate 12 in the pilot program. 13 3. The department, in consultation with the rural school 14 district and urban school district, shall determine all of the 15 following: 16 a. The courses of study and curricula that the rural school 17 district and urban school district will provide to eligible 18 students as part of the pilot program. 19 b. The instructional facilities that the rural school 20 district and urban school district will use to provide 21 educational services to eligible students as part of the pilot 22 program. 23 4. a. Annually, on or before June 1 of each year, the rural 24 school district and urban school district shall submit to the 25 department an annual report that contains all of the following: 26 (1) The number of eligible students who participated in the 27 pilot program during the current school year. 28 (2) Information related to the academic performance of 29 eligible students who participated in the pilot program during 30 the current school year. 31 (3) Feedback from eligible students who participated in the 32 pilot program during the current school year related to the 33 effectiveness of the pilot program. 34 (4) Feedback from the parents or guardians of eligible 35 -1- LSB 5556SV (1) 91 jda/jh 1/ 4

S.F. 2404 students who participated in the pilot program during the 1 current school year related to the effectiveness of the pilot 2 program. 3 (5) Feedback from teachers who provided educational 4 services to eligible students who participated in the 5 pilot program during the current school year related to the 6 effectiveness of the pilot program. 7 (6) Challenges associated with operating the pilot program. 8 (7) Recommendations related to how to improve the pilot 9 program. 10 (8) Any other information requested by the department that 11 will allow the department to monitor and assess the pilot 12 program. 13 b. Annually, on or before June 30 of each year, the 14 department shall compile the annual reports submitted to the 15 department pursuant to paragraph “a” and shall submit the 16 compilation to the general assembly. 17 5. Notwithstanding section 257.10, subsection 7, for 18 budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2026, not less than 19 forty-eight percent of the ninety percent of funds calculated 20 under section 257.10, subsection 7, and received by the rural 21 school district or urban school district shall be used by the 22 rural school district or urban school district, as applicable, 23 for purposes of the pilot program. 24 6. As used in this section: 25 a. “Eligible student” means any of the following: 26 (1) Children requiring special education, as defined in 27 section 256B.2. 28 (2) A student whose emotional, social, or behavioral 29 needs interfere with the student’s ability to be successful 30 in the regular educational environment, even with the use of 31 supplementary aids and services. 32 b. “Rural school district” means a school district as 33 described in chapter 274 that is located in a county with a 34 population of greater than seventeen thousand five hundred but 35 -2- LSB 5556SV (1) 91 jda/jh 2/ 4

S.F. 2404 less than eighteen thousand, and that contains a city with a 1 population of greater than five thousand four hundred, but less 2 than five thousand five hundred, all according to the 2020 3 federal decennial census. 4 c. “Urban school district” means a school district as 5 described in chapter 274 with a total enrollment of at least 6 seven thousand students. 7 7. This section is repealed July 1, 2031. 8 EXPLANATION 9 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 10 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 11 This bill requires the department of education (DE) to 12 develop and administer a pilot program that requires a rural 13 school district and an urban school district to establish 14 attendance centers to be used to provide educational services 15 to eligible students. DE is responsible for determining the 16 rural school district and urban school district that will be 17 required to participate in the pilot program. In addition, 18 DE, in consultation with the rural school district and urban 19 school district, is required to determine the courses of 20 study and curricula that the rural school district and urban 21 school district will provide to eligible students and the 22 instructional facilities that the rural school district and 23 urban school district will use to provide educational services 24 to eligible students. 25 Annually, on or before June 1 of each year, the rural school 26 district and urban school district are required to submit to DE 27 an annual report that contains information related to the pilot 28 program. Additionally, on or before June 30 of each year, DE 29 is required to compile those annual reports and submit the 30 compilation to the general assembly. 31 Under current law, not less than 90 percent of funds 32 calculated under Code section 257.10(7) (special education 33 support services district cost) and received by a school 34 district are required be used by the school district for 35 -3- LSB 5556SV (1) 91 jda/jh 3/ 4

S.F. 2404 special education support services contracted from an area 1 education agency. The bill requires, instead, that the rural 2 school district and urban school district use not less than 48 3 percent of that 90 percent of funds for purposes of the pilot 4 program. 5 The bill defines “eligible student” to mean children 6 requiring special education, as defined in Code section 256B.2, 7 and a student whose emotional, social, or behavioral needs 8 interfere with the student’s ability to be successful in the 9 regular educational environment. The bill defines “rural 10 school district” as a school district that is located in a 11 county with a population of greater than 17,500 but less 12 than 18,000, and that contains a city with a population of 13 greater than 5,400, but less than 5,500. The bill defines 14 “urban school district” to mean a school district with a total 15 enrollment of at least 7,000 students. 16 The bill repeals the Code section establishing the pilot 17 program, Code section 256.20, July 1, 2031. 18 -4- LSB 5556SV (1) 91 jda/jh 4/ 4