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FLOOR ACTION:
SF 269 – Republican FY22 SSA/School Funding
SF 269, as amended by the House (S-3022), sets State Supplemental Aid (SSA) at 2.4% for FY22 at a cost of $36.5 million. The 2.4% SSA rate will be applied to the regular and categorical state percent of growth rate. This bill does not include the anticipated additional $15 million cut to school funding through the school aid formula.
Senate File 269, as amended, establishes a 2.4% state growth rate to be applied to the state cost per pupil (SCPP), for a $155 increase per pupil. The amended bill provides an additional increase of $10 to the per pupil equity effort for those districts with the same district cost per pupil. This brings the increase in per-pupil spending to $179 over last year, for a total state cost per pupil of $7,227. The original Senate version provided an additional $15 per pupil for this effort. The amended bill retains the provision that picks up the additional property tax replacement funding and adjusts the Transportation Equity Program to equal the amount necessary to bring all schools to the statewide average for transportation costs.
Under SF 269, as amended, 137 school districts (42% of all districts) will qualify for the budget guarantee. This can generate $26 million, an increase of $17.8 million (215.45%) compared to FY21. The budget guarantee adjustment is calculated at the school district level so that school districts receive 101% of their previous year’s funding. The budget guarantee adjustment is funded entirely through local property taxes.
[2/17: 31-18 (Party-line; Excused: Nunn)]
SF 285 – All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship drop out changes
SF 285 allows a student in the All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship Program who must suspend enrollment due to a medical emergency, military deployment or other exceptional circumstances to continue to qualify for funding upon re-enrollment.
The All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship provides need-based financial awards to students who attend an Iowa college or university within two years of completing a high school diploma. Students can continue to qualify for funding under the scholarship if they continuously receive the award over successive fall and spring semesters, although students who don’t re-enroll during a fall or spring semester after initially receiving the scholarship become ineligible in perpetuity. Such a break in receipt of the scholarship results in the student losing access to thousands of dollars in financial aid due, in some cases, to unforeseeable circumstances.
[2/17: 48-0 (Excused: Hogg, Nunn)]
HF 308 – Proficiency requirements for Senior Year Plus
HF 308 requires a student to have demonstrated proficiency in reading, math and science as evidenced by achievement scores on the latest administration of the statewide assessment. If a student is not proficient in one or more content areas, they can demonstrate proficiency through measures of college readiness jointly agreed upon by the school board and the postsecondary institution, and by other qualifying measures that may be established by local school boards. The bill also establishes provisions for students who are receiving competent private instruction.
[2/17: 48-0 (Excused: Hogg, Nunn)]
HF 386 – Reporting requirements for school established 501(c)(3) entities
HF 386 removes certain reporting requirements for school established 501(c)(3) entities. A school district must annually report to the Department of Education and to their local community the administrative expenditures, revenues and activities of any 501(c)(3) they have established to support students/activities. Currently, the Department of Education must include a summary of all school districts’ 501(c)(3) information in their annual Condition of Education report. This bill strikes the requirement that the school district annually report to the Department of Education and no longer requires this information to be included in the Condition of Education report.
[2/17: 48-0 (Excused: Hogg, Nunn)]