Relating to education, including by requiring community colleges to publish information related to graduates, requiring school districts to provide students enrolled in grades eleven and twelve with information related to graduates of community colleges and the average income and student debt of graduates of institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents, and modifying provisions related to supplementary weighting

This bill relates to education, including by requiring community colleges to publish information related to graduates, requiring school districts to provide students enrolled in grades 11 and 12 with information related to graduates of community colleges and the average income and student debt of graduates of institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents, and modifying provisions related to supplementary weighting. The bill requires community colleges to publish a link to the Iowa student outcomes internet site on the community college’s internet site. The Iowa student outcomes internet site contains a compilation of data and information related to student success in secondary school, college readiness, postsecondary education, gainful employment, and adult literacy programs. The bill requires each school district to provide to each student in grades 11 and 12 who has expressed an interest in postsecondary education with a copy of a report prepared by the state board of regents that relates to the income and student loan debt of students who have completed a baccalaureate degree program at an institution of higher education under the control of the state board of regents and a link to the Iowa student outcomes internet site. The bill establishes that, if the school district employs a college and career transition counselor or coordinator, such counselor or coordinator is responsible for providing these materials. The bill defines “college and career transition counselor or coordinator” to mean a licensed school counselor or an appropriately trained individual responsible for providing direct services to students, parents, families, schools, and postsecondary institutions to support college preparation and postsecondary success, such as college preparation, financial aid processing, and transition to postsecondary institution enrollment. Current law provides that a school district that shares with a political subdivision one or more operational functions in certain specified areas for at least 20 percent of the school year shall be assigned a supplementary weighting for each shared operational function. The purpose of the supplementary weighting is to provide additional funding to increase student opportunities and redirect more resources to student programming for school districts. Under current law, the supplementary weighting associated with a college and career transition counselor or coordinator is two pupils for the school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2022, but before July 1, 2035. In addition, under current law the maximum amount of additional weighting for which a school district is eligible in a budget year is 21 additional pupils. The bill provides that the supplementary weighting associated with a shared operational function in the area of a college and career transition counselor or coordinator shall not count toward the maximum amount of additional weighting for budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2024.3.16.2. The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.