Senate
File
344
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
344
BY
GREEN
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
requiring
the
boards
of
directors
of
school
districts
to
1
allow
certain
community
organizations
reasonable
access
to
2
school
property.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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Section
1.
Section
297.9,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
297.9
Use
for
other
than
school
purposes.
3
1.
The
board
of
directors
of
any
school
district
may
4
authorize
the
use
of
any
schoolhouse
and
its
grounds
within
5
such
district
for
the
purpose
of
meetings
of
granges,
6
lodges,
agricultural
societies,
and
similar
societies,
for
7
parent-teacher
associations,
for
community
recreational
8
activities,
community
education
programs,
election
purposes,
9
other
meetings
of
public
interest,
public
forums
and
similar
10
community
purposes;
provided
that
such
use
shall
in
no
way
11
interfere
with
school
activities;
such
use
to
be
for
such
12
compensation
and
upon
such
terms
and
conditions
as
may
be
fixed
13
by
said
board
for
the
proper
protection
of
the
schoolhouse
14
and
the
property
belonging
therein,
including
that
of
pupils,
15
except
that
in
the
case
of
community
education
programs,
any
16
compensation
necessary
for
programs
provided
specifically
by
17
community
education
and
not
those
provided
through
community
18
education
by
other
agencies
or
organizations
shall
be
19
compensated
from
the
funding
provided
for
community
education
20
programs.
21
2.
a.
The
board
of
directors
of
each
school
district
22
shall
allow
a
community
organization
reasonable
access
to
any
23
schoolhouse
and
its
grounds
within
such
district
to
distribute
24
and
provide
instructional
materials
in
order
to
encourage
25
participation
in
the
community
organization.
26
b.
The
board
of
directors
of
each
school
district
shall
27
establish
terms
and
conditions
governing
the
reasonable
access
28
provided
to
a
community
organization
under
paragraph
“a”
to
29
provide
for
the
proper
protection
of
students
enrolled
in
30
the
school
district,
employees
of
the
school
district,
the
31
schoolhouse,
and
the
property
within
the
schoolhouse.
The
32
terms
and
conditions
governing
the
reasonable
access
must
33
satisfy
all
of
the
following
requirements:
34
(1)
Prohibit
a
community
organization
from
interfering
with
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classroom
instructional
time.
1
(2)
When
it
can
be
reasonably
accommodated,
allow
a
2
community
organization
to
have
access
to
after-school
events,
3
including
back-to-school
events.
4
c.
For
purposes
of
this
subsection,
“community
organization”
5
means
any
patriotic
and
national
organization
described
in
36
6
U.S.C.
§20101
–
240112,
as
of
July
1,
2018.
7
EXPLANATION
8
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
9
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
10
This
bill
requires
the
boards
of
directors
of
school
11
districts
to
allow
certain
community
organizations
reasonable
12
access
to
school
property.
13
The
bill
requires
the
board
of
directors
of
each
school
14
district
to
allow
a
community
organization
to
have
reasonable
15
access
to
any
schoolhouse
and
its
grounds
to
distribute
16
and
provide
instructional
materials
in
order
to
encourage
17
participation
in
the
community
organization.
The
school
18
district
is
required
to
establish
terms
and
conditions
19
governing
the
reasonable
access
provided
to
a
community
20
organization
to
provide
for
the
proper
protection
of
21
students
enrolled
in
the
school
district,
employees
of
the
22
school
district,
the
schoolhouse,
and
the
property
within
23
the
schoolhouse.
The
terms
and
conditions
must
prohibit
24
a
community
organization
from
interfering
with
classroom
25
instructional
time
and
allow
a
community
organization
to
26
have
access
to
after-school
events
when
such
access
can
27
be
reasonably
accommodated.
The
bill
defines
“community
28
organization”
by
reference
to
federal
law
related
to
patriotic
29
and
national
organizations.
30
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