Modifying the duties of the department of education related to electronic systems

Description

House File 2546 requires the Director of the Iowa Department of Education (DE) to approve, coordinate, and supervise the use of electronic data and information processing by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, Area Education Agencies (AEAs), postsecondary institutions, and community colleges. The Bill requires the Director to procure a comprehensive, statewide data collection system using a new request for proposal (RFP) process, which is required as soon as possible after the effective date of section 1 of the Bill. Section 1 of the Bill takes effect upon enactment.

The Bill also requires the DE to modernize its electronic systems for funding disbursement and system communication with other State agencies and with school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools. The modernization of electronic systems must include the deployment of an online portal for information and data submission on or before July 1, 2027.

Background

Current law requires the DE to approve, coordinate, and supervise the use of electronic data processing by school districts, AEAs, and community colleges.

The DE currently maintains infrastructure supporting data collection and reporting. Over 400 school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools use the current DE system to collect information required by State and federal statutes.

The New Hampshire Department of Education recently contracted to deploy a new student information system at a total cost of $2.5 million.

Assumptions

• It is unknown whether the DE would modernize existing systems or procure a new system.
• The DE currently spends an estimated $900,000 annually to maintain its current system.
• The new system in New Hampshire is similar to the requirements specified in the Bill and was procured at a cost of approximately $2.5 million. However, pricing for new systems can be driven by enrollment. New Hampshire’s K-12 enrollment is approximately one-third of Iowa’s enrollment.

Fiscal Impact

If current systems are utilized and updated, the fiscal impact for HF 2546 to the DE is anticipated to be minimal.

If the DE is required to acquire a new statewide data collection system, the fiscal impact for HF 2546 to the DE may lead to acquisition costs; however, these costs cannot be determined at this time. Additional costs may include payments to the Department of Management to support system modifications, and administrative costs for the DE to provide technical assistance to school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, AEAs, postsecondary institutions, and community colleges.

Source

• Department of Education