In a recent meeting with House Speaker Paulsen, he noted that statistically, the Legislature will send the fewest number of bills to the governor in several years. The second funnel deadline backs that assertion. Despite a flurry of activity on education policy bills earlier in the session, relatively few have survived the second funnel deadline. To remain alive and be considered for the remainder of the legislative session, a bill must have passed one chamber and a committee in the other chamber. This does not apply to tax, budget, or leadership bills.

The impasse on SSA continues but start date is now resolved, albeit not to our satisfaction. A closer look at the legislative activity impacting education reveals that both chambers are looking to help boards and school districts by moving forward some of the "minor" policy issues. The House voted unanimously to allow the use of the district management levy for arbitration and mediation costs. It also appears that the House will likely vote to allow more flexibility in the use of PPEL funds. The House also passed a bill that gives districts the flexibility to use at-risk and drop-out prevention funds for either program area. Unfortunately, this bill died in the Senate. The Senate is poised to approve the management levy bill and has already approved the PPEL bill. The Senate has also sent a strong, bi-partisan message about the importance of the state penny for school infrastructure and passed an extension of that funding source for an additional twenty years. The House is unlikely to consider that bill this year but the Senate action is positive progress.  

These examples illustrate the type of the work that both chambers are doing to help school districts. Please remember to thank your legislators for these efforts as you remind them about the need for sufficient funding for your school district.

Start Date Legislation on Governor's Desk

This week Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal lifted the motion to reconsider on SF 227, allowing the bill to go to the governor for his signature. The bill establishes that no school may start prior to August 23 without incurring a loss in state aid. SF 227 does provide a limited waiver authority for attendance centers that operate on a year-round calendar. Under that provision, an attendance center may petition for an earlier start date without incurring financial penalties for the district. To qualify; the attendance center must have at least 10 instructional days per month, eleven months out of the year. This provision is limited only to single attendance centers (not an entire district) and to those buildings which house students in grades K-8. Governor Branstad is expected to sign this bill. IASB opposes the loss of local control and fought hard to maintain it, but ultimately the fight proved unsuccessful.

State School Aid Conference Committee Stalemate

The Senate Democrats offered to reduce their state percent of growth proposal for FY 2016 from 4.0% to 2.625%. House Republicans stood firm on their proposal of 1.25%, meaning no agreement has yet been reached for FY 2016 school aid funding. It is important to note that in the absence of an agreement, the rate defaults to zero percent.

Based on a 2.625% rate, 135 districts (40.2%) would have a new money percentage increase of greater than 3.0%, while 201 districts (59.8%) would have a new money increase of less than 3.0%. Under the House proposal of 1.25%, only 66 districts (19.6%) would have a new money increase of above 3.0% while about 80.0% of districts would be below 3.0%. The 3.0% level represents a modest estimate of the amount needed to cover increased costs. 

Additionally, under the revised Senate proposal, 102 districts (30.4%) would be eligible for the budget guarantee (funding entirely through local property taxes) while 162 districts (48.2%) would be eligible for the budget guarantee under the House proposal.

The following graphics provide additional information about the impact of this proposal.

 

Assessment Changes in DE's Hands

This week, House and Senate Education Committee chairs Ron Jorgensen and Herman Quirmbach agreed that the State Board of Education should make the decision about the adoption of a new assessment. Under the provisions of HF 215, the task force appointed by the governor was required provide their recommendations to the Legislature, but the final authority for making a decision rests with the State Board of Education.   

Earlier this year, the State Board of Education made a statement that it supported the recommendation of the task force to adopt Smarter Balance. IASB, as a member of that task force, strongly supports this assessment because it is aligned with the content standards being taught in our schools, provides districts with both a formative and summative assessment process, and will give boards, administrators, and teachers better data to positively impact student achievement.

Education groups met with the governor's office this week to reinforce our support for the task force's recommendations and asked that the governor encourage the State Board of Education to move forward with the adoption of Smarter Balance. 
 

Advocacy in Action: Advocating on Your Behalf

The major focus of IASB and our members continues to be the big issues: Supplemental State Aid, the start date, and assessments. However, IASB continually advocates for other legislation that can be equally helpful to schools. Most of the attention is paid to the aforementioned issues, however, there are a few bills important to school districts across Iowa that do not get the coverage they deserve. For example, SF 280, PPEL flexibility would allow districts the flexibility to use PPEL funds on equipment purchased with PPEL funds. In addition, HF 515, the District Management Levy authorizes school districts to use funds from the management levy to pay for mediation and arbitration costs. While these topics might not have been high profile at the beginning of session, they will be helpful for districts.

 

Bills that Survived the 2nd Funnel

HF 6 School Employee Conduct by Judiciary: This bill expands the definition of a school employee to any individual hired by a school district, either full-time, part-time, substitute, or contract employee or volunteer when dealing with a sexual exploitation case. IASB is registered in support of this bill as it passed the House because it clarifies the types of employment or volunteer relationships which would be subject to the criminal statute on sexual exploitation. The Senate Judiciary Committee amended the bill to extend the statute of limitations for the filing of claims against a school district for an act of sexual abuse against a minor. IASB will re-evaluate its current registration based on this change. The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee as amended and is on the Senate debate calendar.

HF 74 / HF 118 SAVE Extension: These bills would extend the sunset date on the state penny for school infrastructure through 2040. IASB is registered in support of both bills because they preserve an important infrastructure funding source for schools. Both bills are in the House Ways and Means Committee but are not anticipated to see any action. 

 HF 347 Licensure of Child Care Programs by Education: This states that the Department of Human Services will now be the only state agency responsible for handing licenses of child care programs. The bill relaxes the dedicated space requirements that would have made it difficult for districts to provide before and after school care. IASB is registered as undecided on the bill which passed the Senate and returns to the House with a minor amendment.

HF 384 PPEL Expansion: A bill for an act relating to the use of revenues resulting from the physical plant and equipment levy and including applicability provisions. IASB is registered in support of this bill because it provides more flexibility to districts to use PPEL funds. The bill is in the House Ways and Means Committee

HF 515 Management Levy by House Education: This bill authorizes a school district to use revenue from the district management levy to pay for costs of mediation and arbitration, such as legal fees associated with mediation or arbitration. IASB is registered in support of this bill because it reduces pressure on the general education budget. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee and is on the Senate debate calendar.

HF 554 Funds for Teaching Mentoring and Induction Program by Education: This bill states that school districts are ineligible to receive money for starting a teaching mentoring and induction program plan if that school district is receiving teacher leadership compensation (TLC) money. IASB is registered opposed to this bill because the creation of the TLC program was not intended to supplant other important programs. The bill passed the House Education Committee and is in the House Appropriations Committee.

HF 576 Broadband Expansion by Commerce: This bill's goal is to provide broadband internet access to citizens, farms, businesses, and communities throughout the state of Iowa. It authorizes the use of SAVE funds for the cost of bringing broadband infrastructure to a school building. IASB is registered in support of this bill because it provides additional incentives for broadband expansion in underserved areas. The bill passed the House Commerce Committee and is in the House Ways and Means Committee. 

HF 599 Liabilities During Reorganization by Education: This bill would ensure that liabilities incurred by school districts with the issuance of SAVE bonds are considered during a reorganization or dissolution process. IASB is registered in support of this bill because it ensures that a reorganization or dissolution petition must address the assumption of sales tax bonds and ensures that sufficient revenue is provided to the reorganized district to meet those obligations. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee and is on the Senate debate calendar.

SF 171 FY 2016 Supplemental State Aid: This bill as originally approved by the Senate established a growth rate of 4% for the FY 2016 school year. The House amended the bill to establish a 1.25% growth rate. IASB opposes the House amendment and supports the Senate proposal of 4%. The bill is in a conference committee.

SF 176 School Property Tax Replacement by Ways and Means: This bill modifies the property tax replacement payment calculation for FY 15 and FY 16 to an amount equal to the school's weighted enrollment. This figure is based on the program state cost per pupil. IASB is registered against this bill because it further reduces the balance of state aid and local property taxes to fund schools and provides no new money to districts. This bill passed the House Ways and Means Committee is on the House  debate calendar.

SF 280 PPEL Flexibility by Education: The bill allows repairs to technology, transportation, or recreational equipment purchased using PPEL funds. IASB is registered in support of the bill which would give districts a more efficient way to use taxpayer dollars. For example, it would allow a district to replace an engine with PPEL funds rather than purchase a whole new bus. The bill passed the Senate and is in the House Ways and Means Committee.

SF 345 Anti-Bullying Bill: This bill attempts to strengthen efforts to combat bullying and harassment in schools. It would ensure each school district would be provided adequate training on conducting investigations and establish a student mentoring pilot program in two middle schools and two high schools to explore how student leadership can prevent bullying. The bill also provides school officials with authority to investigate and impose school discipline or take action in cases of alleged incidents of harassment or bullying that occur outside of school, off school grounds or away from school sponsored events. IASB is registered in support of the bill because it provides additional tools for districts to combat bullying. The bill passed the House Education Committee and is on the House debate calendar.

SF 430 AEA Mental Health Pilots: This bill authorizes $2.5 million for pilot projects in each AEA to provide mental health services to school districts. IASB is registered in support of this bill because it provides additional resources for schools and AEAs to address mental health needs of students. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee and is in the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

SF 457 Access to Closed Session Transcripts by State Government: This bill would allow the ombudsman's office to receive copies of closed session transcripts without a court order. IASB is registered opposed to the bill because the ombudsman does not have enforcement authority and should not have easy access to closed session transcripts without a court order. The bill passed the House State Government Committee and is on the House debate calendar.

SF 461 Broadband Expansion: This bill's goal is to provide broadband internet access to citizens, farms, businesses, and communities throughout the state of Iowa. It authorizes the use of SAVE funds for the cost of bringing broadband infrastructure to a school building. IASB is registered in support of this bill because it provides additional incentives for broadband expansion in underserved areas. The bill was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee and is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

SF 462 Use of Epinephrine in Schools by Human Resources: This bill allows districts to maintain in a secure location a supply of epinephrine auto-injectors. It also clarifies that a student may, upon request to the district, self-administer an epipen. Districts have the ability to revoke that right if a student abuses the privilege. IASB is registered undecided on the bill as it does not require a district to stockpile epipens and allows a district to withdraw a students's privilege to self-administer if that privilege is abused. The bill passed the House Education Committee and is on the House debate calendar.

SF 471 Low Income Pupil Supplement by Education: This bill creates a low-income pupil supplement equal to the number of students on free or reduced lunch times .04 of the regular per pupil program cost. It also requires that the additional funds be used for programming to support these students. IASB is registered in support of the bill because it provides additional resources to help low income students who generally face more challenges with respect to student achievement. The bill  passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate debate calendar. 

SF 472 ELL Weighting by Education: This bill increases the English Language Learning weighting to 0.30 per student and extends the time period by which a student may qualify to receive that weighting to seven years. IASB is registered in support of the bill because it provides additional resources to help students longer for whom English is not their first language. The bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and is on the Senate debate calendar. 

 SF 473 Preschool Expansion by Education: This bill creates incentive payments for districts to expand the number of children in the state-sponsored preschool program. It also provides additional flexibility to districts to utilize preschool funds for transportation and increases the amount of funds for administrative expenses to 10%. The bill makes outreach activities and rent eligible expenditures. IASB is registered in support of this bill because it provides districts with additional flexibility and incentives to expand access to preschool. The bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and is on the Senate debate calendar.

SF 476 ELL Weighting in Preschool by Appropriations: This bill provides additional weighting for eligible students identified as limited English proficient who are enrolled in statewide preschool programs for four year old children. The bill makes the weighting 1/2 of English Language Learners weighted enrollment. IASB is registered in support of this bill because it provides more money for students that require additional instructional needs. The bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and is on the Senate debate calendar.

SF 477 Extension of SAVE by Ways and Means: This bill would extend the one-cent sales tax for school infrastructure until January 1, 2050. IASB is registered in support of this bill because it would ensure districts with the revenue to complete infrastructure projects and improve the educational environment for students. The bill passed the Senate and is in the House Ways and Means Committee.

Bills Moved to the Unfinished Business Calendar

Moving bills to the unfinished business calendar is a procedural mechanism that allows either chamber to keep the bill alive past the funnel deadline. The House will not meet until tomorrow to make decisions about which bills to move to its unfinished business debate calendar, thereby keeping those bills alive for consideration.

HF 550/SF 443: Public Officials Contact Information: The bill requires elected public officers to publish their contact information on the internet site of the government entity which they serve. The bill was amended to define contact information as just the officials' phone number and email address. The amendment also defined public officials as: members of the general assembly, a county board of supervisors, city council, and a board of directors of a school district. IASB is registered undecided on this bill which unanimously passed the House and is on the Senate unfinished business debate calendar.

Bills Opposed by IASB That Did Not Survive Funnel:

HF 194: Statute of Repose 

HF 450: Contract Bidding Process 

HF 509: Personnel Record Access

HF 584: Radon Testing mandate on schools

SF 259: School Board Vacancies

SF 384: Expands Scope of Open Meetings

SF 429: Eliminates the DE's Authority to Pick an Assessment

SF 431: Fine Arts in the Core

 

Bills Supported by IASB that Did Not Survive Funnel:

HF 122: Makes Principals Eligible for Sharing Incentives

HF 156: Preschool Expenditure Flexibility

HF 228: Transitional Coaching Authorization

HF 286: Direct Deposit Wages 

HF 346: Dropout Prevention/At Risk Programs 

HF 446: Statewide Assessment

 

Bills Monitored by IASB that Did Not Survive Funnel

HF 204: Online Learning

HF 213: Online Protection of Student Data

HF 549: Collective Bargaining

HF 559: Waiver of High School Graduation Requirements

HF 568: Coaching Endorsements/Training

HF 582: Core Content Standards Technical Correction Bill

SF 436: Competitive Bidding study committee

SF 447: Sexual Abuse Statute of Limitations 

SF 452: Medicaid Transformation and Oversight 

SF 454: Children's Well-being Task Force
 

Bills Signed by the Governor

HF 445 Education Costs in PMICs: This bill clarifies that the amount paid for a child residing in a psychiatric medical institution (PMIC) is the state cost per pupil, not the receiving district's cost per pupil. IASB was registered undecided on the bill. Governor Branstad signed this bill into law on March 31. 

HF 570 Protection from Liability: The bill creates liability protection for municipalities, including school districts, for activities that take place on their property. IASB is registered in support of this legislation since it reduces the potential risk of lawsuits for injuries that occur during the use of school property. Governor Branstad signed the bill into law on April 1.

SF 131 BOEE Licensing: This bill requires that all initial applicants for licensure must complete a background and fingerprint check by the Department of Public Safety. IASB registered in support of this bill because it improves the process by which applicants for BOEE licensure are vetted. Governor Branstad signed this bill into law on March 31.

If you have any questions or need additional information please  feel free to contact IASB Government Relations Director, Phil Jeneary at pjeneary@ia-sb.org, or IASB Lobbyist, Emily Piper at emily@ialobbyresources.com.