Modifying provisions related to the responsibilities of nonpublic schools

The bill authorizes the accredited nonpublic school to suspend or expel a student for a violation of such a rule. The bill requires accredited nonpublic schools to adopt rules requiring that, once school officials have been notified by a juvenile court officer that a student attending the school is under supervision or has been placed on probation, school officials are required to notify the juvenile court of each unexcused absence or suspension or expulsion of the student. Current law imposes restrictions on the ability of a school district to take disciplinary actions against an employee or contractor for disclosing certain specified information to any public official or law enforcement agency. The bill imposes these same restrictions on accredited nonpublic schools. The bill authorizes accredited nonpublic schools to employ for head coach of any interscholastic athletic activity, or for assistant coach of any interscholastic athletic activity, an individual who possesses a coaching authorization issued by the board of educational examiners or who possesses a teaching license with a coaching endorsement. The bill authorizes accredited nonpublic schools to employ principals in the same manner as school districts. The bill also requires a principal employed by an accredited nonpublic school to hold a current valid principal’s certificate.40 grants minimum amounts of sick leave to public school employees. The bill grants these same minimum amounts of sick leave to employees of accredited nonpublic schools under the same conditions as sick leave granted to public school employees.50 requires school districts to provide certain specified human growth and development instruction to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12, and imposes other requirements related to such instruction. The bill requires accredited nonpublic schools to provide the same instruction and follow the same requirements. The bill requires accredited nonpublic schools to adopt policies for different grade levels that describe how an accredited nonpublic school may discipline a student for making a threat of violence or causing an incident of violence that results in injury or property damage or assault. The bill establishes requirements related to such policy.68 imposes responsibilities on school districts related to assessing students to determine levels of reading readiness and providing intensive reading instruction. The bill imposes these same responsibilities on accredited nonpublic schools. The bill provides that accredited nonpublic schools are to require licensed personnel who have regular contact with students to undergo training related to suicide prevention and postvention, the training related to identification of adverse childhood experiences, and strategies to mitigate toxic stress. The bill requires accredited nonpublic schools that issue identification cards to students in grades through to include on the card the crisis hotline telephone and text numbers and the internet address for your life Iowa or the your life Iowa successor program. The bill also authorizes accredited nonpublic schools that issue identification cards to students in grades five and six to include on the card the crisis hotline telephone and text numbers and the internet address for your life Iowa or the your life Iowa successor program.71 imposes on school districts certain requirements related to student online personal information protection. The bill imposes these same requirements on accredited nonpublic schools. The bill requires certain specified licensed accredited nonpublic school employees who are employed by an accredited nonpublic school after July 1, 2024, to complete the Iowa reading research center dyslexia overview module within one year of the employee’s initial date of hire. The bill requires accredited nonpublic schools to protect the intellectual freedom of the school’s students and practitioners and to establish and publicize policies that protect students and faculty from discrimination based on speech. The bill also provides that if an accredited nonpublic school or a court finds that certain specified employees of the accredited nonpublic school discriminated against a student or employee in violation of this provision, the employee found to be in violation shall be subject to a hearing conducted by the board of educational examiners.74 imposes certain responsibilities and prohibitions on school districts related to training and curriculum that includes race or sex scapegoating, race or sex stereotyping, or specific defined concepts. The bill imposes these same responsibilities and prohibitions on accredited nonpublic schools. The bill prohibits accredited nonpublic schools from conducting an invasive physical examination of a student, a student health screening that is not required by law, or a formal examination or survey of a student that is designed to assess the student’s health that is not required by law, without first acquiring the written consent of the student’s parent or guardian. The bill also requires accredited nonpublic schools to give written notice to a student’s parent or guardian of an examination of the student required by law that is designed to assess the student’s health not less than seven days prior to the examination or survey.77 requires school districts to publish certain specified information on the school district’s internet site and adopt policies related to the review of instructional materials. The bill imposes the same responsibilities on accredited nonpublic schools.78 imposes certain responsibilities and prohibitions on school districts related to the gender identity of students enrolled in the school district. The bill imposes the same responsibilities and prohibitions on accredited nonpublic schools. The bill requires an accredited nonpublic school to receive the prior written consent of a student’s parent or guardian before requiring a student to take part in certain specified evaluations. The bill prohibits an employee or contractor of an accredited nonpublic school from answering any question pertaining to any particular student enrolled in the school in any survey related to the social or emotional abilities, competencies, or characteristics of the student, unless the school satisfies certain specified requirements. The bill prohibits an accredited nonpublic school from providing any program, curriculum, test, survey, questionnaire, promotion, or instruction relating to gender identity or sexual orientation to students in kindergarten through grade six. The bill makes conforming changes. The bill provides that religious books shall not be excluded from a nonpublic school. The bill requires accredited nonpublic schools to make adequate educational provisions for each enrolled child who requires special education that is appropriate to the nature and severity of the child’s disability. The bill makes conforming changes. The bill requires accredited nonpublic schools to establish and maintain adequate administration, school staffing, personnel assignment policies, teacher qualifications, certification requirements, facilities, equipment, grounds, graduation requirements, instructional requirements, instructional materials, maintenance procedures, and policies on extracurricular activities. The bill authorizes an individual employed or contracted by an accredited nonpublic school to serve as an elementary or secondary principal in the same accredited nonpublic school. The bill requires accredited nonpublic schools to incorporate, into the kindergarten admissions program, criteria and procedures for identification and integration of at-risk children and their developmental needs.19A imposes certain requirements on school districts related to alternative options education programs for students who are either at risk of dropping out or have dropped out. The bill imposes the same requirements on accredited nonpublic schools. The bill authorizes accredited nonpublic schools to develop, as part of the curriculum in grades through 12, programs for career and technical education in agriculture technology. The bill provides that supervision and accountability of career and technical agriculture teachers employed for extended contracts are the responsibility of the accredited nonpublic school. The bill provides that accredited nonpublic school employees who, in the course of employment, suffer permanent partial or total disability, resulting from an episode of violence, for which workers’ compensation is payable, shall be entitled to receive workers’ compensation, which the nonpublic school shall supplement. The bill also provides that a nonpublic school may require the employee to provide a signed statement that justifies the use of this leave and, if medical attention is required, a certificate from a licensed physician that states the nature and duration of the leave.22 provides that students of public schools have the right to exercise freedom of speech, including the right of expression in official school publications, subject to the limits contained in that Code section.22 to provide that students of accredited nonpublic schools have the same rights. The bill requires accredited nonpublic schools to establish a radon plan and schedule for short-term tests for radon gas to be performed at each attendance center at least once by July 1, 2027, and at least once every five years thereafter. The bill also requires accredited nonpublic schools to publish testing results on the school’s internet site in a timely manner. The bill imposes other responsibilities on accredited nonpublic schools related to testing for radon gas. The bill provides that, prior to knowingly enrolling an individual who is required to register as a sex offender, an accredited nonpublic school is required to determine the educational placement of the individual. The bill also provides that if the individual is denied enrollment in an accredited nonpublic school, the school shall provide the individual with educational services in an alternative setting. The bill requires the county sheriff to provide accredited nonpublic schools in the county the name of any individual under the age of who is required to register as a sex offender.