SSB 1022 (LSB 1481XC (2) 91)

SENATE FILE _____ 

BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON EVANS)

A BILL FOR

An Act modifying provisions related to shared operational functions and school district supplementary weighting.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 257.11, subsection 5, paragraph d, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   d.  (1)  Supplementary weighting pursuant to this subsection shall be available to a school district during the period commencing with the budget year beginning July 1, 2014, through the budget year beginning July 1, 2034. The maximum amount of additional weighting for which a school district shall be eligible in a budget year is twenty-one additional pupils; provided, however, that for budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2024, the supplementary weighting assigned for a shared operational function in the area of a college and career transition counselor or coordinator shall not count toward this maximum amount. Criteria for determining the qualification of operational functions for supplementary weighting shall be determined by the department by rule, through consideration of increased student opportunities.
   (2)  For budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2024, the supplementary weighting assigned for a shared operational function in the area of a college and career transition counselor or coordinator shall not count toward the maximum amount of additional weighting for which a school district shall be eligible in a budget year described in subparagraph (1).
   (3)  For budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2025, the supplementary weighting assigned for a shared operational function in the area of a master social worker, an independent social worker licensed under chapters 147 and 154C, a mental health professional who holds a statement of recognition issued by the board of educational examiners, or a school resource officer shall not count toward the maximum amount of additional weighting for which a school district shall be eligible in a budget year described in subparagraph (1).
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill modifies provisions related to shared operational functions and school district supplementary weighting.
   Current law provides that a school district that shares with a political subdivision one or more operational functions in certain specified areas for at least 20 percent of the school year shall be assigned a supplementary weighting for each shared operational function. The purpose of the supplementary weighting is to provide additional funding to increase student opportunities and redirect more resources to student programming for school districts. Under current law, the supplementary weighting associated with a master social worker, independent social worker, a mental health professional, and a school resource officer is two pupils for the school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2022, but before July 1, 2035. In addition, under current law the maximum amount of additional weighting for which a school district is eligible in a budget year is 21 additional pupils. The bill provides that the supplementary weighting associated with a shared operational function in the area of a master social worker, an independent social worker, a mental health professional, or a school resource officer shall not count toward the maximum amount of additional weighting for budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2025.