Education (School Funding)

passed · Iowa · House Apr 28, 2026

HF 2764: A bill for an act relating to school district budgeting by modifying provisions relating to proposed property tax amounts.

This bill modifies Iowa school district budgeting rules to address timing issues with property tax proposals. It establishes a specific public hearing date no earlier than March 20 of the preceding year, ensuring residents have time to provide testimony before tax amounts are finalized. Under new provisions, if state growth percentages are not set by March 5, school districts must limit their proposed budget growth to match the previous year's rate. Additionally, while most local governments can only lower proposed tax amounts after a public hearing, school districts are granted the ability to increase them if enrollment data or new laws require it. These changes aim to provide clearer timelines and flexibility for school districts during the budget process.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens school district budgeting by ensuring timely public hearings and preventing arbitrary budget cuts due to delayed state growth percentages, thereby protecting school funding stability.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding

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died · Iowa · Senate Apr 30, 2026

SF 2482: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, department of education, and state board of regents.

This bill provides state funding for the fiscal year 2026-2027 to support the Department for the Blind, the Department of Education, and the State Board of Regents. The appropriations cover a wide range of educational services, including salaries for staff, career and technical education programs, early childhood initiatives like birth-to-age-three services and Head Start projects, and resources for student assessments and literacy monitoring. Specific funds are also allocated to expand work-based learning opportunities, support school food service programs, and assist high school students in taking college-level summer classes. Additionally, the legislation includes money for specialized support for infants and toddlers with medical needs and for implementing performance reporting systems for school districts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly provides state funding and appropriations for essential education services and departments.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly provides state funding for education departments, staff salaries, and student programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Early Childhood Higher Education School Funding

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passed · Iowa · House May 2, 2026

HF 2791: A bill for an act permitting an exchange of the cash reserve levy for another local levy within the school budget for certain school districts to correct for an extreme circumstance and including effective date provisions.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allows school districts to correct extreme tax valuation drops by temporarily increasing reserve levies, ensuring fiscal stability and protecting school budgets.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allows districts to exceed reserve limits to correct tax drops, ensuring financial stability and protecting school budgets.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax School Funding

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in committee · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2736: A bill for an act modifying provisions related to area education agency funding, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

This bill modifies how Iowa calculates and distributes funding to area education agencies and school districts, primarily adjusting the foundation base percentages used to determine regular program and special education support services funding. It establishes new formulas for calculating professional development supplements starting in 2026 and requires that at least 90% of special education support services funds received by districts after 2025 be used for services contracted from area education agencies. The legislation also ensures that certain teacher and professional development supplements are paid in full even if the governor orders budget reductions, protecting these specific funding categories from cuts. Additionally, the bill clarifies rounding rules for most funding computations and includes a legislative intent statement linking school funding quality to student education quality.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases education funding by adjusting foundation base percentages and establishing new formulas for professional development supplements, strengthening state budget allocation for education services.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill modifies funding formulas to increase support for area education agencies and school districts, including professional development supplements and special education services.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Special Education Teachers

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Apr 16, 2026

SF 2425: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to charter schools, the Iowa public employees’ retirement system, financing programs for charter schools and nonpublic schools administered by the Iowa finance authority, the statewide voluntary preschool program for four-year-old children, education savings accounts, independent accrediting agencies, teacher training and licensure, and making appropriations, and including applicability and retroactive applicability provisions.

SF 2425 is an education bill modifying multiple areas, primarily affecting charter schools, nonpublic schools, and public school districts in Iowa. It increases funding for charter schools by adding teacher leadership, salary, and professional development supplements to their per-pupil state allocation. The bill also requires charter schools to participate in the state retirement system and establishes new rules allowing students at nonpublic schools or charter schools to join public school athletic programs under specific conditions. These changes apply to school budget years starting July 1, 2026, and include provisions for charter school closures and federal funding access.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases charter school funding via supplemental teacher salary and professional development allocations, directly adding to state education appropriations per bill summary.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases charter school funding via teacher salary supplements and professional development, directly supporting educators and school programs.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Pensions Early Childhood School Choice School Funding

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signed · Iowa · Senate May 22, 2026

SF 2201: A bill for an act relating to school funding by establishing the state percent of growth and the categorical state percent of growth for the budget year beginning July 1, 2026, modifying provisions relating to property tax replacement payments, transportation equity aid funding, funding for school district budget adjustments, and school district enrollment, establishing an education support personnel salary supplement, making appropriations, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

This bill establishes new formulas for calculating state funding increases for schools starting in 2026, directly affecting all public school districts. It modifies how property tax replacement payments are handled, changes transportation equity aid funding rules, and sets new methods for adjusting school district budgets based on enrollment changes. The bill also creates a salary supplement for education support personnel and includes funding appropriations to implement these changes. All provisions take effect for the 2026 budget year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEstablishes new school funding formulas and appropriations, directly increasing state budget allocations for education through modified tax replacement payments and enrollment-based adjustments.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes new school funding formulas, modifies property tax replacement, changes transportation aid, and creates education support personnel salary supplement, all directly advancing public school funding and support.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax State Budget School Funding

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 23, 2026

SF 2175: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to charter schools, the Iowa public employees’ retirement system, financing programs for charter schools and nonpublic schools administered by the Iowa finance authority, the statewide voluntary preschool program for four-year-old children, education savings accounts, the school start date, independent accrediting agencies, teacher training and licensure, and making appropriations, and including applicability and retroactive applicability provisions.

This bill (SF 2175) makes broad changes to Iowa's education system, primarily affecting charter schools, nonpublic schools, and public school districts. It modifies charter school funding formulas to include additional state cost components, adds charter school employees to the state retirement system, and allows students in charter or nonpublic schools to participate in public school sports under specific conditions (e.g., no prior participation by their school and payment of fees). The bill also designates charter schools as local education agencies for federal funding access and authorizes the Iowa Finance Authority to issue bonds for charter and nonpublic school facilities. These changes apply to school budget years starting July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill modifies charter school funding formulas to include additional state cost components and makes specific appropriations, increasing state budget allocation for education programs.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationModifies charter school funding to include additional state costs, adds charter employees to retirement system, and expands sports access for nonpublic school students.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Pensions Early Childhood School Choice School Funding

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 24, 2026

SF 2183: A bill for an act providing for the Iowa individual income tax checkoff for public schools and the public school checkoff fund, making appropriations, and providing for implementation of the checkoff on the return.

This bill allows Iowa taxpayers to voluntarily contribute $1 or more from their individual income tax return to a public school checkoff fund. The fund, managed by the state department of management, collects these contributions annually and distributes them to school districts starting in 2027 based on each district's budget enrollment. School districts receive these funds as general revenue (not counted toward district costs) and may use them for any school purpose. The checkoff will appear on tax forms for the 2026 tax year, with contributions becoming available for school funding beginning July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesVoluntary tax checkoff creates new school funding stream via income tax, increasing public school revenue without mandatory tax increase.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates voluntary income tax checkoff to fund public schools, increasing available resources for districts as general revenue with no usage restrictions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Revenue School Funding

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died · Iowa · House Apr 20, 2026

HF 2713: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to charter schools, the Iowa public employees’ retirement system, financing programs for charter schools and nonpublic schools administered by the Iowa finance authority, the statewide voluntary preschool program for the school start date, training and licensure, and making appropriations, and including applicability and retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 2713 modifies several education policies in Iowa. It increases funding for charter schools by adding supplements for teacher leadership, salary, professional development, and early intervention to the standard per-pupil amount. The bill also requires charter schools to contribute to the Iowa public employees’ retirement system and designates them as local education agencies for federal funding. Additionally, it establishes rules allowing students from nonpublic or charter schools to participate in public school athletic programs under specific conditions, including paying equivalent fees. These changes apply to school budget years starting July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases state funding for charter schools via supplemental allocations for teacher salaries, professional development, and programs, directly advancing education budget appropriations.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases charter school funding via teacher salary/development supplements; expands access for nonpublic school students; designates charter schools as LEAs for federal funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Pensions Early Childhood School Funding Teachers

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SF 2331: A bill for an act establishing a classroom supply stipend for certain public school teachers, and making appropriations.

This bill establishes a $250 annual stipend for eligible public school teachers in Iowa, starting with the 2026-2027 school year. Eligible teachers are those providing primarily in-person instruction and employed by a school district before the school year begins. The stipend must be paid automatically by school districts by September 15 each year and can only be used for classroom supplies directly supporting student learning (e.g., books, technology, materials), not personal items. Funding comes from the state general fund, and the stipend is exempt from Iowa income tax.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes mandatory state appropriations ($250 stipend) for public school teachers' classroom supplies, directly increasing government spending on education funding.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides $250 annual stipend for teachers to purchase classroom supplies, directly supporting educator resources and student learning materials.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax State Budget School Funding

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