Education

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 5, 2025

HF 113: A bill for an act authorizing expenditures from certain funds by small school districts.

HF 113 allows small Iowa school districts (with 200 or fewer students for three consecutive budget years) to redirect leftover funds from specific levy accounts - like the physical plant fund and public education fund - for general district purposes (excluding salaries or benefits) for up to five years. To do this, the school board must first get voter approval through an election requiring at least 60% of votes cast. The bill amends Iowa Code sections 298.3, 298A.6, and 423F.3 to establish this process, including requiring a new election every five years to renew the authorization. This applies only to unspent funds already in those designated accounts.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllows small districts to redirect unused funds (e.g., physical plant) for infrastructure/programs, improving resource allocation without new funding.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 10, 2025

HF 68: A bill for an act modifying provisions related to open enrollment policies and English-language learners.

HF 68 modifies Iowa's open enrollment rules by requiring school districts to define "insufficient classroom space" in their policies to explicitly include standards about their capacity to teach English learners. This directly affects school districts managing enrollment and English learners, who are students whose primary language is not English and whose English proficiency may hinder academic success in standard classrooms. The bill changes current law by mandating that districts' space definitions must account for their ability to provide appropriate instruction to these students. This ensures space limitations considered during enrollment decisions specifically address the needs of English learners.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates school districts to explicitly include English learner capacity in space definitions, directly advancing access and support for limited English proficiency students under open enrollment policies.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice

Track

signed · Iowa · Senate May 27, 2025

SF 278: A bill for an act relating to robotics extracurricular activities, including requiring the department of education to provide technical assistance to school districts related to chartering career and technical student organizations related to robotics and authorizing high school athletic organizations to sponsor interscholastic contests related to robotics.

SF 278 requires the state Department of Education to provide technical assistance to school districts seeking to establish robotics-focused career and technical student organizations (CTSOs). It also authorizes high school athletic associations to sponsor interscholastic robotics competitions. The bill directly affects public high schools, students participating in robotics programs, and school administrators managing career and technical education. Key provisions create a structured pathway for schools to develop robotics clubs and integrate them into existing athletic or career-focused competition frameworks.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires DOE technical assistance for robotics CTSOs and authorizes competitions, expanding career-focused extracurricular opportunities in K-12 education.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jun 16, 2025

SF 168: A bill for an act modifying provisions related to shared operational functions and school district supplementary weighting.

This bill modifies Iowa school funding rules by changing how certain shared staff positions count toward a school district's annual funding cap. Starting July 1, 2024, funding for college/career transition counselors no longer counts toward the 21-pupil maximum. Starting July 1, 2025, funding for master social workers, licensed social workers, mental health professionals, and school resource officers also won't count toward this cap. School districts using these staff will have more flexibility to allocate funding toward other shared operational functions within the 21-pupil limit. The change affects all Iowa school districts receiving supplementary funding for shared staff services.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill removes certain staff funding from district cap calculations, increasing budget flexibility for schools without new appropriations, promoting efficient fiscal management within existing budget constraints.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves funding cap barriers for counselors/social workers, enabling expanded student support services without triggering district budget constraints.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExcludes mental health professionals' funding from school budget cap, enabling increased hiring for school-based mental health services without triggering funding limits.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding School Safety Student Health

Track

passed · Iowa · House Mar 10, 2026

HF 851: A bill for an act relating to student nutrition, including by modifying the curricula provided to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve to include instruction related to nutrition, modifying provisions related to the agriculture, food, and natural resources component of the career and technical education instruction provided to students enrolled in grades nine through twelve, and modifying provisions related to school meal programs, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

HF 851 requires all Iowa public and nonpublic schools offering kindergarten through grade 12 to include specific nutrition education in their health curricula. It mandates that students learn about the importance, benefits, and role of animal-based proteins, dairy, vegetables, and fruits in a balanced diet across multiple grade levels. The bill also modifies career and technical education to include agriculture, food, and natural resources instruction, emphasizing local food sourcing. These changes apply to all schools meeting state curriculum standards, with requirements beginning in the 2023-2024 school year for certain grades.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates nutrition curriculum in K-12 health classes and modifies CTE to include agriculture, enhancing educational content per bill's requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Student Health

Track

passed · Iowa · House Jun 16, 2025

HF 389: A bill for an act relating to student abuse by school employees.

HF 389 creates a new process for investigating student abuse by school employees in Iowa. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) to investigate reports within 24 hours and complete investigations within 30 business days. Schools must immediately place accused employees (including teachers, vendors, and volunteers) on administrative leave during investigations, and must terminate employment if DHS confirms abuse. This directly affects public and nonpublic schools, their employees, and the DHS, replacing current procedures with a standardized, time-bound system for handling such reports.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates swift investigations and termination of abusive school employees, directly protecting student safety in educational settings.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jun 16, 2025

SF 8: A bill for an act prohibiting school districts and charter schools from taking disciplinary action against employees, contractors, or students for the use of legal names, the use of student names as listed in school registration forms or records, or for the failure to use personal pronouns in official communications, and providing civil penalties.

SF 8 prohibits Iowa school districts and charter schools from disciplining employees, contractors, or students for using legal names, names listed in school registration records, or for not using personal pronouns in official communications (like emails or forms). It specifically bans actions like termination, suspension, or fines for these reasons and defines "disciplinary action" broadly to include all such penalties. Employees wrongfully terminated under this law can seek reinstatement, back pay, and up to three times their annual wages through civil court. The bill applies directly to all public and charter schools in Iowa, affecting staff, contractors, and students in daily school interactions.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProtects students/employees from disciplinary action over name/pronoun usage, promoting inclusive school environment and educational access.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits disciplinary action against employees for name/pronoun usage, directly protecting workers' rights in workplace communication per Labor & Employment definition.95% confidence

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 5, 2026

SF 172: A bill for an act relating to child sexual abuse and child sexual assault awareness and prevention.

SF 172 requires Iowa school districts and schools to provide age-appropriate child sexual abuse and assault awareness education to students in kindergarten through grade six. It mandates the development of model guidelines for teaching safe touch, unsafe touch, reporting procedures, and internet safety, along with research-based materials for parents at registration and in student handbooks. The bill also requires educators to complete continuing education on prevention topics and incorporate these lessons into school curricula. This directly affects K-6 students, parents, and school staff across all Iowa public and nonpublic schools. The policy changes focus on preventive education, not legal enforcement or victim support services.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates K-6 safety education curriculum, educator training, and parent resources, directly enhancing student safety and educator preparedness in schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jun 16, 2025

SF 444: A bill for an act relating to incentives for whole grade sharing and school district reorganization or dissolution.

This bill extends Iowa's incentives for school district reorganization or dissolution through July 2030. It provides extra state funding to districts that share grades with other districts or merge, calculated as one-tenth of the percentage of a student's school day spent in another district. Districts receiving this "supplementary weighting" can use it for up to three years, with renewal requiring progress reports on reorganization plans. The bill applies to districts that initiate reorganization by 2030 and certify their plans to the state education department.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExtends state funding for school district reorganization, increasing government spending on education through supplementary weighting.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill extends state funding incentives for school district reorganization/mergers, providing supplementary weighting based on grade-sharing to encourage resource efficiency and funding stability in K-12 education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding

Track

signed · Iowa · Senate May 19, 2025

SF 167: 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, 2025, modifying provisions relating to the property tax replacement payments, modifying provisions relating to the regular program state cost per pupil and funding for shared operational functions, and including effective date provisions.

SF 167 is a school funding bill that establishes the state's funding increase rates for the budget year beginning July 1, 2025, covering both general and specific categorical programs. It modifies provisions related to property tax replacement payments, which help offset local property taxes for schools. The bill also adjusts the regular program state cost per pupil, which is the base amount of state funding provided for each student. Finally, it modifies funding mechanisms for shared operational functions among school districts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEstablishes state funding increases for schools, modifies property tax replacement to offset local taxes, and adjusts per-pupil costs - directly funding public education through budget mechanisms.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes state funding increase rates for schools, adjusts per-pupil costs, and modifies property tax replacement payments to support school budgets and state aid.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Funding