SSB 1165 – Online classes to count for required course offerings
SSB 1190 – Education Omnibus Requirement Elimination bill
SF 29 – ELL increased funding and eligibility
SF 270 – Mental health, suicide prevention required in health class
SF 287 Iowa High School Athletic Association academic eligibility standards
SF 298 reverses the burden of proof for judicial review for the Department of Education
COMMITTEE ACTION:
SSB 1165 – Online classes to count for required course offerings
SSB 1165 permits public school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to offer online classes to meet up to two “offer and teach” course requirements. Schools can do this by using Iowa learning online (ILO) or by offering such a course through any online platform that meets standards specified under the Online School Code chapter and is approved by the Department of Education.
Currently, Iowa Code allows up to two “offer and teach” requirements to be waived by the Department of Education if a school district or accredited nonpublic school is unable to employ an appropriately licensed teacher for the specified course, or too few students typically enroll in the specified course, or the school proved to the Department’s satisfaction that they have made every reasonable effort to meet Iowa’s educational program requirements.
Currently, the specified course must be provided by the ILO. The bill changes this so the course can be offered through a private provider that meets Iowa teacher and curriculum standards. Two committee amendments were offered to clarify that schools must offer these classes either in person or online and that two or more schools could go into a partnership to offer these online options.
[2/25: Short Form (Excused: Sweeney)]
SSB 1190 – Education Omnibus Requirement Elimination bill
SSB 1190 removes the requirement for schools to check to make sure students have had blood lead, vision and dental screenings before entering school. It also strikes requirements that K-12 school districts conduct an evaluation regarding implementation of an environmentally preferable cleaning policy, and if it makes sense, use less harmful cleaning products.
The bill strikes the requirement that each school district have a school nurse to provide health services to students, as well as a librarian. The bill also strikes previous compromise language that districts work toward a goal of having one school nurse for every 750 students. It also strikes a provision requiring that every parent registering their child for kindergarten or preschool be provided with a student vision card from the Iowa optometric association with the goal of each child having an eye examination by age seven.
SSB 1190 strikes a provision that requires area education agency (AEA) boards to give notice of a public hearing on the agency’s proposed budget by publication in an official newspaper in each county in which a school district is located. Instead, it can be posted on the AEA Internet site.
Currently, school districts are prohibited from charging employees for the cost of background registry checks. SSB 1190 reverses this and allows a school district to charge an employee, not to exceed the actual cost. These background checks are done pre-hire and must be done at least every five years.
A committee amendment was adopted unanimously to omit Community College and Regents from the healthy cleaner requirements. It also restores the requirement for every school district to have a librarian and school nurse.
[2/27: 10-5, party-line]
SF 29 – ELL increased funding and eligibility
SF 29 provides increased funding for limited English proficient student in K-12 schools. Currently, the amount of the additional weighting for students identified as limited English proficient is 0.22 per student. The bill increases the amount of the additional weighting to 0.39 per student. Currently, students are eligible for this additional funding for five years. The bill extends that timeframe to not more than seven years. This increased funding would generate an addition $30 million in English Language Learner (ELL) funding per year.
A committee amendment passed that changed the bill’s ELL weighting increase from.22 to .295. This is still an improvement over the status quo, but less than the original bill. Under the amendment, there may be up to $10 million new state funds for ELL.
[2/27: 15-0]
SF 270 – Mental health, suicide prevention required in health class
SF 270 adds mental health awareness, coping skills and suicide prevention to the subject matter that must be included in the unit of health education that school districts and accredited nonpublic schools must offer and teach in grades 9-12. Democrats offered an amendment to require these same subjects be taught in 7th and 8th grade health classes. The amendment was adopted by the committee.
[2/25: Short Form (Excused: Sweeney)]
SF 287 Iowa High School Athletic Association academic eligibility standards
SF 287 requires the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union to jointly develop and implement a policy establishing academic eligibility standards for students participating in extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions. The policy must not impose multiple periods of ineligibility for a single violation of the policy.
A committee amendment passed that strikes everything in the bill and narrows the issue to students serving multiple periods of ineligibility, also referred to as double jeopardy, while maintaining the legal protections of the scholarship rule as it pertains to athletics.
[2/27: 15-0]
SF 298 reverses the burden of proof for judicial review for the Department of Education
SF 298 alters the Judicial Review section of the Code (17A.19) by changing the current burden of proof from the person asserting that a rule or policy is invalid to the Department of Education. This means the Department would be required to prove the rule or policy is valid.
[2/27: 10-5, party-line]