Relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the calculation of the teacher salary supplement district cost per pupil, teacher preparation requirements, out-of-state placement of certain specified students requiring special education, the duties of the department of education, and minimum teacher salaries, and including effective date provisions

This bill relates to education, including by modifying provisions related to the calculation of the teacher salary supplement district cost per pupil, teacher preparation requirements, out-of-state placement of certain specified students requiring special education, the duties of the department of education (DE), and minimum teacher salaries. DIVISION I —— TEACHER SALARY SUPPLEMENT DISTRICT COST PER PUPIL. Current law requires the department of management (DOM), beginning July 1, 2025, to categorize all school districts into not more than 10 tiers according to each school district’s actual enrollment and to calculate and assign to all school districts within each tier a teacher salary supplement district cost per pupil in an amount based on the average cost to school districts within the tier to meet requirements related to minimum teacher salaries. The bill strikes the provisions related to tiers and instead requires DOM to calculate and assign to all school districts a teacher salary supplement district cost per pupil in an amount to meet the requirements related to minimum teacher salaries, including costs associated with the employer’s share of contributions to the Iowa public employees’ retirement system (IPERS) and the employer’s share of the tax imposed by the federal Insurance Contributions Act, plus an amount equal to the teacher salary supplement supplemental state aid amount for the budget year. The bill provides that if a school district reported a teacher’s years of experience incorrectly on the fall 2023 basic educational data survey compared to the fall 2024 basic educational data survey, and the difference would have resulted in an additional per pupil amount for the budget year beginning July 1, 2024, DOM shall increase the teacher salary supplement district cost per pupil for the budget year beginning July 1, 2025, by the difference between the teacher salary supplement district cost per pupil that would have been calculated if not for the incorrect reporting and the teacher salary supplement district cost per pupil actually calculated. The division takes effect upon enactment. DIVISION II —— TEACHER PREPARATION. Current law provides that pre-student teaching field experiences for students participating in a teacher intern preparation program shall comprise at least 50 hours in duration. The bill modifies this provision to provide that such field may comprise at least 50 hours in duration. Current law provides that a student shall be credited a minimum of 1 week, but not more than 10 weeks, of prior work experience as a substitute teacher or a para-educator toward the requirements associated with the 14-week student teaching experience, if, among other requirements, the board of educational examiners (BOEE) has issued a substitute license, substitute authorization, or a para-educator certificate to the student. The bill modifies this requirement to provide that, if the student has prior work experience as a substitute teacher, the BOEE has issued a substitute license or a substitute authorization to the student. The bill strikes the requirement that the BOEE must have issued a para-educator certificate to the student in order for the student to be credited a minimum of 1 week, but not more than 14 weeks, of work experience as a para-educator toward the requirements associated with the 14-week student teaching experience. The bill strikes the requirement that a participant in a program provided by a higher education institution that is designed to assist students in attaining a teacher intern license from the BOEE must submit with the application to the program a copy of an offer of employment from a school. DIVISION III —— OUT-OF-STATE PLACEMENT. The bill provides that a child’s district of residence may place the child in an out-of-state facility or with an out-of-state provider for purposes of providing the child with the education required under Code chapter 256B (special education), subject to the terms of an agreement between the child’s district of residence and the facility or provider. The bill establishes requirements related to the agreement. The bill provides that a child’s district of residence is not financially responsible for the services provided by an out-of-state facility or an out-of-state provider to a child unless the out-of-state facility or out-of-state provider provides notice to the child’s district of residence that the child may be subject to the bill’s provisions and the child’s district of residence enters into an agreement with the out-of-state facility or out-of-state provider that satisfies the bill’s requirements related to such agreements. Additionally, the bill provides that, by August 1 following the school year in which the out-of-state facility or out-of-state provider provided services to a child pursuant to an agreement, the child’s district of residence may submit an accounting to DE that describes the cost of the services provided by the facility or provider during such school year. The bill requires that by August 15 following the school year in which the out-of-state facility or out-of-state provider provided services to a child pursuant to an agreement, DE shall review and either approve or modify the accounting and make payment to the child’s district of residence toward the school year in which the cost of the services was incurred.16 to all school districts in the state in the school year following the school year in which the services were provided. The portion of the total amount paid by DE to a district that is required to be deducted from the state foundation aid paid to the district is the same as the ratio that the budget enrollment for the budget year of the district bears to the total budget enrollment in the state for that budget year. The bill defines “child”, “district of residence”, and “resident”. DIVISION IV —— ONLINE STATE JOB POSTING SYSTEM.6(4) requires the department of workforce development (IWD), in consultation with DE, to establish a system that allows DE, school districts, charter schools, area education agencies, and accredited nonpublic schools to post job openings on an internet site.6(4) also requires DE, school districts, charter schools, and area education agencies to submit all job openings to IWD for posting on the internet site.6(4) establishes requirements related to the job openings system.27, which transfers to DE the responsibilities related to establishing and operating an online state job posting system for school districts, charter schools, area education agencies, and accredited nonpublic schools. DIVISION V —— TEACHER COMPENSATION. Current Code chapter 284 (teacher compensation) provides that the minimum annual salary for a teacher who has at least 12 years of teaching experience shall be at least $62,000.52A (bona fide retirement under IPERS), and has returned to covered employment with a covered employer as a licensed teacher, the teacher’s minimum annual salary shall be $50,000.