Education

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SF 2329: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the duties and powers of area education agencies, the department of education, and area education agency funding, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

SF 2329 modifies Iowa's area education agencies (AEAs), which provide educational services to schools across the state. The bill requires AEAs to adjust their boundaries to avoid splitting school districts and to align with school district mergers, while mandating that they offer educational services to accredited public and nonpublic schools at least comparable to those available in 1974. It also establishes new budget rules requiring AEAs to submit annual budgets for approval by the Department of Education and the State Board of Education, and caps AEA administrator salaries at 125% of the average superintendent salary in their region. Additionally, the bill creates a special education division within AEAs led by a director appointed by the Department of Education to oversee special education services.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates AEAs to maintain services comparable to 1974 for all schools and align boundaries to prevent district fragmentation, ensuring continued educational access and service continuity.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Special Education

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 16, 2026

HSB 674: A bill for an act relating to apprenticeships and other career training and making appropriations.

This bill, the "Iowa Skilled Workforce Act," updates Iowa's apprenticeship framework to support career training. It creates clear definitions for "intermediary sponsors" (entities training multiple employers) and clarifies that partner employers (those using intermediaries) must follow the intermediary's standards. The bill also adds financial assistance for apprenticeship programs meeting a minimum of 100 training hours per apprentice annually and updates plumbing/mechanics licensing rules to allow up to three apprentices per licensed supervisor. It directly affects apprenticeship sponsors, employers, and training programs across Iowa.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides financial assistance for apprenticeship programs requiring 100+ annual training hours, supporting workforce development and career training pathways linked to higher education.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAdds financial assistance for apprenticeships meeting 100+ annual training hours, directly advancing workforce development and career training standards.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Apprenticeships Professional Licensing Workforce Development

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 16, 2026

HSB 714: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the social studies instruction provided to students enrolled in grades one through twelve and the educational programs provided by the institutions of higher education under the control of the state board of regents, and requiring education related to the holocaust for students and teachers in school districts.

This bill modifies Iowa's social studies curriculum for grades 1-12 and requires Holocaust education for students and teachers in public school districts. It mandates specific historical documents (like the Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, and Emancipation Proclamation) be studied in grades 5-6 and throughout social studies, emphasizes "admirable Americans" (including Lincoln and Douglass), and requires instruction on U.S. founding principles, free enterprise economics, and Iowa history. The bill also adds Holocaust education as a required component for both students and teachers. These changes directly affect all public school students and educators in Iowa's K-12 system.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates specific historical curriculum content (Declaration of Independence, Holocaust education) and foundational principles, enhancing social studies standards per bill's requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HF 2632: A bill for an act relating to bond election requirements applicable to school districts.

HF 2632 lowers the vote threshold for school district bond approvals from 60% to a simple majority (over 50%). This change applies specifically to school districts, while counties, cities, and other local governments must still secure 60% approval for bond measures. The bill amends Iowa Code sections 75.1 and 296.6 to reflect this distinction. All bond elections must still occur on the date specified in section 39.2, subsection 4, paragraph "d".

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationLowers school bond approval threshold from 60% to 50%, facilitating infrastructure funding for school districts per bill's focus on bond elections.85% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 25, 2026

SF 2223: A bill for an act relating to career education, including by modifying provisions related to career academies, the collective statewide articulation agreement between community colleges and the state board of regents, the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program, and individual career and academic plans.

SF 2223 modifies Iowa's career education system to better align high school programs with workforce needs. It requires the workforce development board and community colleges to create statewide and regional lists of high-demand jobs, which will guide apprenticeships, scholarships, and summer programs. The bill updates credit transfer agreements between community colleges and four-year universities to prioritize seamless transfer of career and technical education credits. Additionally, it expands funding for high school students taking college-level classes at community colleges through concurrent enrollment programs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationModifies career education systems to align with workforce needs, enhances credit transfer for career programs, and expands pathways - advancing educational access and program quality.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAligns education with high-demand jobs via apprenticeships/scholarships, enhancing workforce readiness and labor market alignment per bill's focus on career pathways.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Higher Education K-12 Education Workforce Development

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 17, 2026

SF 2253: A bill for an act establishing a graduation requirement for instruction related to food nutrition and preparation.

SF 2253 requires all Iowa public and accredited nonpublic high schools to mandate that students complete a half-course (equivalent to one semester) of food nutrition and preparation instruction to graduate. This applies to students in grades 9-12, beginning with the 2030-2031 graduating class, though students may fulfill the requirement earlier by taking the course in 7th or 8th grade. The bill specifies that school districts will cover the cost using existing state school foundation aid, with no additional state funding required. It directly affects all Iowa high school students and their schools by adding a new graduation requirement focused on practical nutrition and cooking skills.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates new nutrition curriculum requirement for graduation, strengthening educational standards and expanding student learning in food nutrition and preparation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 24, 2026

HSB 668: A bill for an act relating to state policies, programs, and licenses with race, gender, or citizenship requirements.

This bill amends Iowa's state employment laws to strengthen equal opportunity and affirmative action requirements. It requires state agencies, universities (via the Board of Regents), and school districts to develop and implement affirmative action plans addressing underrepresentation in hiring, establish training programs for staff, and submit annual reports on progress. The bill also authorizes the Department of Administrative Services to impose sanctions on entities failing to comply with these equal opportunity standards. These changes directly affect all state government employers and their hiring practices across Iowa.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires schools/universities to implement affirmative action plans addressing underrepresentation, promoting equitable hiring and access in education.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates affirmative action plans for underrepresentation in state hiring, requiring training and reporting to strengthen equal employment opportunity per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Employees

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 19, 2026

HF 2492: A bill for an act providing for supplementary weighting for school districts that share career and technical education instructors.

HF 2492 adds career and technical education (CTE) instructors to the list of positions eligible for shared operational functions that qualify for extra school district funding. School districts sharing CTE instructors (defined as licensed teachers with specific endorsements in grades 5-12) with other districts or political subdivisions for at least 20% of the school year will receive a supplementary funding boost of three pupils per shared function. This change expands existing funding rules, which previously covered roles like counselors and special education directors, to specifically include CTE instructors. The bill aims to redirect resources toward student programming by incentivizing shared staffing arrangements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill expands school finance by adding supplementary funding for districts sharing CTE instructors, directly increasing state appropriations for public education.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides supplementary funding (3 pupils per shared function) for districts sharing CTE instructors, expanding school finance support for career education programs and teacher collaboration.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education School Funding Special Education

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SSB 3109: A bill for an act requiring school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to provide success-sequence education in grades seven through twelve.

This bill requires all Iowa public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to incorporate "success-sequence education" into grades 7-12 curricula. It defines this instruction as covering evidence-based milestones (like earning a high school diploma, securing full-time employment, and marriage) and research on marriage benefits and outcomes for children of divorced parents. The content must be included in social studies for grades 7-8 and in health education/personal finance for grades 9-12. The bill specifies that existing state school foundation aid funds will cover implementation costs, with no additional state funding required.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates specific curriculum content on marriage/divorce research, restricting academic freedom in education curricula as required by law.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SF 2311: A bill for an act providing for education on the holocaust for students and teachers in school districts.

SF 2311 requires Iowa public school districts to incorporate age-appropriate Holocaust education into middle and high school curricula by the 2027 school year. The bill mandates that this instruction - integrated into existing courses - cover specific topics including the Holocaust's causes, history of antisemitism, U.S. military roles in defeating Nazi Germany, and connections to modern discrimination. School districts must also provide teacher training on these topics as part of professional development, using resources from approved organizations like the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The Iowa Department of Education will annually report on district compliance to the governor and legislature.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates Holocaust curriculum integration into K-12, enhancing historical education and teacher training requirements per bill language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Teachers

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