Relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to career academies, the collective statewide articulation agreement between community colleges and the state board of regents, the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program, and individual career and academic plans, and by requiring the state board of regents to submit a report related to establishing a performance-based funding model for the institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents

Description

Senate File 2223 makes the following changes to the Summer Joint Enrollment Program (Program):

• Modifies the supplementary weighting paid through the school aid formula to allow for supplementary weighted funding to be generated for students enrolled in the Program.
• Removes the Program from the programs subject to the list of high-demand jobs identified by the State Workforce Development Board.
• Requires career academies to include a minimum of two units of secondary education, one of which must include a course that meets the requirements of Iowa Code section 261E.8 (district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program).
• Modifies the calculation of the percentage of the day a pupil attends a concurrent enrollment class, counting their attendance during the summer as if they attended during the school year.
• Requires collective statewide articulation agreements with the Board of Regents (BOR) to transfer academic credits earned through completion of an associate degree program or career and technical education (CTE) program. The Bill also requires program-specific articulation arrangements that favor the transfer of CTE credits to the greatest possible extent.
• Modifies the Program to allow liberal arts and sciences college-level coursework to be offered to students through the Program.
• Requires the individualized career and academic planning process to include discussions with students regarding concurrent enrollment and industry-recognized credentials.

Background

The concurrent enrollment program, also known as district-to-community college sharing, provides high school students opportunities to enroll in eligible college-level courses at or through community colleges. Students do not pay tuition, textbook, or concurrent enrollment fees. Through sharing agreements, tuition is charged to school districts with participating students. Enrollment generates supplemental weighting funds from State School Aid that reimburse a portion back to the districts.

The Department of Education has received the Summer Joint Enrollment General Fund appropriation of $600,000 in the annual Education Appropriations Act since FY 2019. The appropriation provides moneys for resident high school pupils enrolled in grades 9 through 12 to attend a community college for college-level classes outside of the regular school year through a contractual agreement between a community college and a school district. The appropriation provides the support required by Iowa Code section 261E.8(8). Since FY 2019, the Program has provided over 7,700 students access to free, college-level CTE coursework. Career academies are career-oriented programs of study that link secondary CTE to a postsecondary education program. They have three main elements:

• Concurrent enrollment coursework.
• Coursework with a career theme that provides a foundation for entering postsecondary programs.
• Strong partnerships among employers, school districts, higher education institutions, and the community.

Recommendations submitted to the General Assembly in July 2025 by the HF 2545 Comprehensive Review Task Force established in 2024 Iowa Acts, chapter 1159 (Iowa Educational Standards Act), outline potential changes to CTE concurrent enrollment and career and academic planning.

The total number of students enrolled in Program courses and CTE programs is as follows for summer 2023 through summer 2025:

• Summer 2023 — 1,863 pupils with 35 total CTE programs offered
• Summer 2024 — 2,113 pupils with 38 total CTE programs offered
• Summer 2025 — 2,416 pupils with 32 total CTE programs offered

Assumptions

• The FY 2027 State cost per pupil is $7,988, which is based on current law.
• Any legislative changes to the State cost per pupil will alter the fiscal impact.
• Assuming a growth rate of 13.0%, which is the average of the last two years for CTE courses, over the next two years, 2,730 pupils are estimated to enroll for summer 2026 and 3,010 are estimated to enroll for summer 2027.
• Assumes enrollment based on recent trends for CTE-only enrollment. These calculations only apply if 100.0% of Program students enroll in CTE courses.

Fiscal Impact

Senate File 2223 is estimated to increase supplementary weighting paid through the school aid formula by $962,000 in FY 2027 and $1.1 million in FY 2028 if 100.0% of students are enrolled in CTE courses. However, if 75.0% of students are enrolled in CTE courses and 25.0% of students enrolled in college-level liberal arts and sciences courses, the Bill is estimated to increase supplementary weighting by $893,000 in FY 2027 and $1.0 million in FY 2028.

Currently, the Summer Joint Enrollment Program receives an annual General Fund appropriation of $600,000 in the Education Appropriations Act.

There is no fiscal impact on the Department of Education. Administrative work will be performed by Department staff with similar job responsibilities.

Source

• Iowa Department of Education