Relating to school districts that share an operational function in the area of superintendent management and including effective date and applicability provisions

Description

House File 2080 increases the operational function sharing supplementary weighting for superintendent management from eight pupils to nine.

This Bill also provides that a school district may receive additional weighting for sharing the services of an individual with a political subdivision or another school district even if the type of operational function performed for the school district is not the same as the function performed for the political subdivision or other school district. Both functions must be eligible for weighting or else the function performed for the school district must be special education director. This Bill also adds school resource officer to the list of operational functions that are eligible for supplementary weighting.

This Bill is effective upon enactment. The provisions would apply to the school year beginning in FY 2023. The first year of funding would begin in FY 2024.

Background

Iowa Code section 257.11(5)(d) limits the maximum amount of additional weighting for a school district to 21 additional pupils per year. The additional weighting will no longer be available after FY 2025. Based on FY 2023 data, a total of 121 school districts that are currently at the maximum weighting of eight for operational function sharing supplementary weighting for superintendent management would request operational function sharing supplementary weighting for superintendent management. Of the 121 districts, 30 will be at the maximum amount of additional weighting for a school district of 21 additional pupils per year and would not benefit from the authorized additional weighting.

Under current law, a special education director has specific licensure requirements set by the Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE), and Area Education Agency (AEA) special education directors have delineated duties under the Iowa Administrative Code. Due to program oversight responsibilities, there may be a conflict with an AEA special education director sharing the position with a school district.

Iowa Code section 257.11(5)(b)(2) limits the supplemental weighting for a special education director and a school resource officer to two pupils each. Based on FY 2023 data, a total of 296 school districts are currently under the maximum amount of additional weighting for a school district of 21 additional pupils per year. Nine of them are at the maximum weighting of two for operational function sharing supplementary weighting for a special education director. School districts have a capacity to add total weighting of 536 for a shared special education director or 554 for a shared school resource officer.

The total cost for a full-time school resource officer is estimated to range between $95,000 and $115,000. A typical arrangement calls for the school district to share 50.0% of the cost with a police department.

Assumptions

• The State cost per pupil is maintained at the FY 2023 amount for each district.
• All eligible school districts have their operational function sharing supplementary weighting for superintendent management increased.
• The estimated FY 2023 State cost per pupil is $7,413, with an average of $6,553 funded from the State General Fund, $175 funded from Property Tax Replacement Payments (PTRP) funded from the State General Fund, and $685 funded from local property tax.

Fiscal Impact

House File 2080 is estimated to increase the operational function sharing supplementary weighting for superintendent management by a total of 91 pupils for 91 school districts at a total annual cost of $660,000 beginning with FY 2024 and ending with FY 2025. The estimated increase will be funded with approximately $595,000 from the State General Fund and $65,000 from local property tax.

Information is not available to determine the number of school districts that will receive the additional maximum weightings of two for a special education director and two for a school resource officer provided in this Bill. Information is also not available on the number of school districts that are funding a shared special education director function or school resource officer function with currently available resources and not receiving any additional weighting. However, each school district that receives the additional weighting for a shared special education director or school resource officer will result in additional weighting costing an estimated $14,826. The weighting would be funded with $13,456 from the State General Fund and $1,370 from local property tax beginning with FY 2024 and ending with FY 2025.

Sources

• Department of Education
• Iowa Association of School Boards
• Department of Management