This bill allows certain Iowa school districts to temporarily exceed their usual cash reserve tax limits for the 2026-2027 school year if a single property tax correction caused their taxable value to drop by at least $100 million. To do this, the districts must offset the extra money raised for reserves by reducing other local property taxes, such as the management levy, ensuring the total tax amount remains within legal limits. The process requires the district to notify the Department of Management, which will then adjust the official tax rates to reflect these changes. This measure is designed to help districts maintain financial stability after a significant administrative error in property valuation.
This bill increases the state funding limit for nonpublic school pupil transportation claims from approximately $8.997 million to $9.184 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The additional funds are specifically designated to reimburse claims that were not previously paid because they were submitted late due to administrative errors. It directs the Iowa Department of Education to use these new moneys to process those delayed reimbursements and takes effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill directs the Governor of Iowa to opt into a federal tax credit program that allows individuals to receive tax breaks for donating money to scholarship-granting organizations. These organizations are nonprofits that provide financial aid for elementary and secondary education expenses, such as tuition and tutoring, to students in both public and private schools. To maintain eligibility for this program starting in tax years after January 1, 2027, the state's departments of revenue and education must follow federal rules and submit required information to the U.S. Treasury.
This bill modifies the Teach Iowa Scholar Program to change how state funding is distributed to teachers starting in the 2026 fiscal year. It mandates that 20% of the funds go to special education instructors and 50% go to teachers working in rural school districts, which are defined as those with fewer than 1,000 students. The legislation also clarifies that a single teacher cannot receive funding under both categories simultaneously, requiring the state department to assign them to only one group. These changes directly affect eligible classroom teachers in Iowa by altering the specific criteria and allocation percentages for the scholarship fund.
HF 2652 requires Iowa schools serving preschool through kindergarten to incorporate specific amounts of play-based learning into daily instruction. It mandates at least 90 minutes of play-based learning per half school day and 180 minutes per full day for prekindergarten programs, and at least 45 minutes daily for kindergarten programs. The bill defines "play-based learning" as child-directed activities promoting development through play, excluding recess or physical education. This applies to all public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools offering these grades.
HF 2725 requires Iowa's Department of Workforce Development to share unit-level wage data (like job titles, earnings, and locations) with the Department of Education for evaluating secondary and postsecondary education programs. It establishes an annual "condition of education report" due April 1 each year, consolidating multiple existing reports, and creates a statewide return on investment (ROI) reporting system overseen by the Iowa Student Aid Commission. Public colleges and universities must submit program-level data - including costs, completion rates, graduate earnings, and job placement - to the Commission for public publication. Institutions failing to comply may lose eligibility for state financial aid programs, though federal aid remains unaffected. The bill directly affects public colleges, students seeking program transparency, and state agencies managing education data.
This bill modifies Iowa's funding and open enrollment rules for English learners. It adds extra per-student funding (26% for intensive, 21% for intermediate learners) to cover both instructional costs and transportation to nonpublic schools. For open enrollment requests involving English learners, the receiving district must confirm it has appropriate program capacity and classroom space before approving the transfer. The home district must pay the receiving district any difference between actual special instruction costs and the standard funding amount, with these rules applying to requests filed after the bill's effective date.
HF 2547 modifies Iowa's education policies to strengthen career pathways and college credit transfer. It requires community colleges to develop regional high-demand job lists (up to five per college) for career planning, updates career academy standards to ensure secondary courses align with postsecondary programs, and revises the statewide articulation agreement to allow seamless transfer of career-technical credits from community colleges to four-year institutions without uniform credit limits. The bill also adjusts funding weights for high school students taking community college courses (70% for career/tech courses, 50% for liberal arts) and mandates the state board of regents to report on implementing performance-based funding for public higher education institutions.
HF 2546 requires Iowa's Department of Education to create a statewide data collection system for schools. The system must standardize electronic data sharing between school districts, nonpublic schools, and area education agencies, ensuring student data privacy while enabling seamless transfer of records like enrollment, assessments, and special education information. It also mandates modernizing the Department's electronic systems, including a portal by 2027 for schools to validate data, check enrollments, and access a live data dictionary. This bill directly affects all Iowa school districts, nonpublic schools, area education agencies, and the Department of Education by changing how they handle and share student data. The law specifies the system must collect only necessary data, maintain data ownership with schools, and avoid requiring purchase of specific software.
HF 175 changes Iowa's tuition rules to allow certain military families to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public colleges. It directly affects active-duty military members stationed in Iowa, their spouses and children, veterans eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, and survivors of deceased veterans. The bill creates new definitions that let these groups be classified as Iowa residents for tuition purposes if they meet specific criteria, such as having the military member stationed in Iowa, filing Iowa taxes, or claiming dependents on tax returns. Spouses and children can maintain in-state status even if the military member is transferred, as long as they stay enrolled continuously. This policy change aims to reduce tuition costs for military-connected students without altering residency requirements for other students.
