Relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, department of education, and state board of regents

This bill relates to and makes appropriations to the education system. The bill appropriates moneys for FY 2025-2026 from the general fund of the state and other funds to the department for the blind, department of education, and 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. _____ early head start projects; 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; 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; 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 educational services for the blind and visually impaired program; the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics collaborative initiative; the therapeutic classroom incentive fund; the administration of an online state job posting system; the LEAD-K program; division of special education; professional development; and the administration and various programs of the college student aid commission. The bill also appropriates moneys from the Iowa skilled worker and job creation fund to the department of education for various purposes. 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, the Iowa state university of science and technology, and the university of northern Iowa. STANDING APPROPRIATIONS.2.20 for FY 2025-2026. IOWA TUITION GRANTS.194 appropriates moneys to the college student aid commission for tuition grants to qualified students who are enrolled in accredited private institutions or eligible institutions and for vocational-technical tuition grants.194 to appropriate moneys to the college student aid commission for deposit in funds for these same purposes, and the bill establishes such funds in the state treasury to be administered by the college student aid commission. Moneys appropriated prior to FY 2025-2026 for these tuition grants are transferred to the funds.194(2).193 establishes a scholarship and tuition grant reserve fund to assure that financial assistance will be available to certain specified students who are awarded scholarships or tuition grants through the college student aid commission.193 and makes conforming changes. Any moneys appropriated to the department of education for purposes of the scholarship and tuition grant reserve fund that remain unencumbered or unobligated as of July 1, 2025, are transferred to the general fund of the state. STATE PROGRAM ALLOCATION.13 establishes how moneys appropriated for purposes of the student achievement and teacher quality program are to be allocated. The bill extends such allocations to FY 2025-2026.11. COURT REPORTER EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAM. The bill establishes a court reporter equipment grant program and requires the college student aid commission to administer the program. A person is eligible to apply for a grant award under the grant program if the person is enrolled in a court reporter training program in this state. A recipient of a grant under the grant program must use the moneys awarded by the college student aid commission for the purchase of court reporter equipment and software for the court reporter training program in which the recipient is participating. The bill requires the college student aid commission to adopt rules to administer the grant program. The bill establishes a court reporter equipment grant program fund and appropriates moneys from the general fund of the state to the grant program fund in FY 2025-2026.486, which established the court reporter equipment grant program and the court reporter equipment incentive fund. The bill transfers moneys to the new fund from the previous fund. COLLEGE STUDENT AID COMMISSION PROGRAMS. The bill provides that any interest or earnings on moneys in any of the following funds may be used by the college student aid commission for purposes of administering any program described in Code chapter 256, subchapter VII, part 4: the all Iowa opportunity scholarship program, the teach Iowa scholar program, the rural veterinarian loan repayment program, the future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship program, the future ready Iowa skilled workforce grant program, and the Iowa workforce grant and incentive program. AREA EDUCATION AGENCIES. _____ of management. The reduction for each area education agency shall be prorated based on the weighted enrollment for special education support services for the budget year.5 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and each succeeding fiscal year. The bill modifies this provision to provide that the department of management shall only make such reduction for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025. The bill authorizes the director of the department of management to deduct from the state aid due to each school district pursuant to Code chapter 257 (financing school programs) the amount calculated for media services for the school district that is attributable to the number of students enrolled in nonpublic schools within the school district who are provided with media services by an area education agency and the amount calculated for educational services for the school district that is attributable to the number of students enrolled in nonpublic schools within the school district who are provided with educational services by an area education agency. The director of the department of management is required to pay such amounts to the respective area education agencies on a monthly basis during each school year for purposes of providing services to students enrolled in nonpublic schools within the boundaries of the area education agency.