SF 344 (LSB 2634XS (2) 91)

SENATE FILE 344

BY  GREEN

A BILL FOR

An Act requiring the boards of directors of school districts to allow certain community organizations reasonable access to school property.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 297.9, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   297.9  Use for other than school purposes.
   1.  The board of directors of any school district may authorize the use of any schoolhouse and its grounds within such district for the purpose of meetings of granges, lodges, agricultural societies, and similar societies, for parent-teacher associations, for community recreational activities, community education programs, election purposes, other meetings of public interest, public forums and similar community purposes; provided that such use shall in no way interfere with school activities; such use to be for such compensation and upon such terms and conditions as may be fixed by said board for the proper protection of the schoolhouse and the property belonging therein, including that of pupils, except that in the case of community education programs, any compensation necessary for programs provided specifically by community education and not those provided through community education by other agencies or organizations shall be compensated from the funding provided for community education programs.
   2.  a.  The board of directors of each school district shall allow a community organization reasonable access to any schoolhouse and its grounds within such district to distribute and provide instructional materials in order to encourage participation in the community organization.
   b.  The board of directors of each school district shall establish terms and conditions governing the reasonable access provided to a community organization under paragraph “a” to provide for the proper protection of students enrolled in the school district, employees of the school district, the schoolhouse, and the property within the schoolhouse. The terms and conditions governing the reasonable access must satisfy all of the following requirements:
   (1)  Prohibit a community organization from interfering with classroom instructional time.
   (2)  When it can be reasonably accommodated, allow a community organization to have access to after-school events, including back-to-school events.
   c.  For purposes of this subsection, “community organization” means any patriotic and national organization described in 36 U.S.C. §20101 – 240112, as of July 1, 2018.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill requires the boards of directors of school districts to allow certain community organizations reasonable access to school property.
   The bill requires the board of directors of each school district to allow a community organization to have reasonable access to any schoolhouse and its grounds to distribute and provide instructional materials in order to encourage participation in the community organization. The school district is required to establish terms and conditions governing the reasonable access provided to a community organization to provide for the proper protection of students enrolled in the school district, employees of the school district, the schoolhouse, and the property within the schoolhouse. The terms and conditions must prohibit a community organization from interfering with classroom instructional time and allow a community organization to have access to after-school events when such access can be reasonably accommodated. The bill defines “community organization” by reference to federal law related to patriotic and national organizations.