DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Education today released a summary of statute changes affecting education policy following the 2013 legislative session.
“The Iowa Department of Education is pleased to provide a summary of the statute changes resulting from the 2013 legislative session that impact education policy in Iowa. As Governor Branstad and others have said, this was truly a historic session with many sweeping changes that will have a long-term, positive impact on education in our state,” said D.T. Magee, Interim Director of the Iowa Department of Education.
Some notable changes that were brought in 2013 are: The establishment of a suicide prevention task force; background checks for all district employees (part-time, sub, or contract); changes to school boiler inspections; instructional hours (180 days or 1,080 hours of instruction as of July 1, 2014); establishes a minimum salary of $33,500 for all full-time teachers; and expansion of the virtual learning program.
For school funding, the “State Percent of Growth” is two percent for FY 2014 and four percent for FY 2015. The supplemental state aid amount per pupil for FY 2014 is $120 and for FY 2015 is $245. The difference between the new term “supplemental state aid” and the prior term “allowable growth” is that this increased aid is entirely state funding with no property tax impact.
The “Categorical State Percent of Growth” is two percent for FY 2014 and four percent for FY 2015. This percentage will be used to calculate the supplemental state aid increase for the teacher salary supplement, the professional development supplement, and the early intervention supplement.
There will be a one-time “School District Funding Supplement” for FY 2014 that is equal to two percent of the Regular Program State Cost (RPSC) per pupil for the 2012-13 school year, or $120, times the budget enrollment for FY 2014.