SSB 1036 (LSB 2141XC (1) 91)

SENATE FILE _____ 

BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON EVANS)

A BILL FOR

An Act modifying the earliest possible start date of the school calendar for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 279.10, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  The school year for each school district and accredited nonpublic school shall begin on July 1 and the school calendar shall begin no sooner than August 23 the Monday immediately preceding the last Monday in August and no later than the first Monday in December. The school calendar shall include not less than one hundred eighty days or one thousand eighty hours of instruction during the calendar year, of which not more than five days or thirty hours of instruction may be delivered primarily over the internet except as otherwise provided in section 256.43 or in rules adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 32. The board of directors of a school district and the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school shall determine the school start date for the school calendar in accordance with this subsection and shall set the number of days or hours of required attendance for the school year as provided in section 299.1, subsection 2, but the board of directors of a school district shall hold a public hearing on any proposed school calendar prior to adopting the school calendar. If the board of directors of a district or the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school extends the school calendar because inclement weather caused the school district or accredited nonpublic school to temporarily close during the regular school calendar, the school district or accredited nonpublic school may excuse a graduating senior who has met district or school requirements for graduation from attendance during the extended school calendar. A school corporation may begin employment of personnel for in-service training and development purposes before the date to begin elementary and secondary school.
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 the earliest possible start date of the school calendar for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools. Current law provides that the school calendar for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools shall begin no sooner than August 23. The bill modifies this provision to provide that the school calendar shall, instead, begin no sooner than the Monday immediately preceding the last Monday in August.