Relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, the department of education, and the state board of regents; requiring the state board of regents to conduct a study and prepare a report related to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and efforts; providing for responsibilities of the workforce development board; establishing the Iowa workforce grant and incentive program; requiring the department of education to convene a task force to study issues related to programs for at-risk students and dropout prevention programs; modifying provisions related to the future ready Iowa skilled workforce grant program, the all Iowa opportunity scholarship program, the education savings account program, the gap tuition assistance program, the Iowa educational services for the blind and visually impaired program, career and technical education programs, the fine arts beginning teacher mentoring program, the equipment replacement and program-sharing property tax levy, and the posting of education-related job openings; and including effective date, applicability, and retroactive applicability provisions

This bill appropriates moneys for FY 2023-2024 from the general fund of the state and other funds to the department for the blind, the department of education, and the state board of regents and its institutions. The bill is organized by divisions. DEPARTMENT FOR THE BLIND. The bill appropriates moneys to the department for the blind for its administration. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. The bill appropriates moneys to the department of education for purposes of the department’s general administration; career and technical education administration; public broadcasting division; career and technical education reimbursement; school food service; expansion of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act birth through age three services; early head start projects; textbooks for nonpublic school pupils; the student achievement and teacher quality program; statewide student assessment; statewide clearinghouse to expand work-based learning; postsecondary summer classes for high school students program; jobs for America’s graduates specialists; attendance center performance/general internet site and data system support; the online state job posting system; successful progression for early readers; an early warning system for literacy; the Iowa reading research center; computer science professional development incentive fund; children’s mental health school-based training and support; for school districts for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities; distribution to the midwestern higher education compact to pay Iowa’s member state annual obligation; community colleges; the Iowa school for the deaf and Iowa braille and sight saving school; the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics collaborative initiative; the therapeutic classroom incentive fund; and the payment of claims for reimbursement submitted for therapeutic classroom transportation. The bill includes appropriations to the department of education for the college student aid commission for general administrative purposes, administration of the future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship program, the health care professional recruitment program, the national guard service scholarship program, the all Iowa opportunity scholarship program, the teach Iowa scholar program, the rural Iowa primary care loan repayment program, the health care loan repayment program, the rural veterinarian loan repayment program, the future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship program, and the mental health professional loan repayment program. The bill appropriates moneys from the Iowa skilled worker and job creation fund to the department of education. STATE BOARD OF REGENTS. The bill appropriates moneys to the state board of regents for the board office, universities’ general operating budgets, the western Iowa regents resource center, the state university of Iowa, Iowa state university of science and technology, and the university of northern Iowa. STANDING APPROPRIATIONS.85.