2025 Legislative Session Bill Summaries
HSB 31—School Start Date: This bill would allow school districts to begin school as early as the first Tuesday after the state fair ends, instead of the current date of Aug. 23 as the earliest date to start the school year.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. It allows local control and flexibility for districts to decide a school calendar that best fits their needs. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 163—Threat Assessment Teams: This bill allows school districts to set up a threat assessment team that would be a collaboration between local law enforcement, mental health providers, social workers and the school to provide resources and intervene when a student poses a safety risk to the school, employees or other students.
IASB is registered undecided. We support the overall intent of the bill but have requested minor language changes to ensure the bill adheres to all FERPA requirements to protect student privacy. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 165—Citizenship Test Graduation Requirement: This bill requires students to obtain at least a 60% score on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Test.
IASB is registered opposed to the bill because it’s another requirement imposed on school districts, and we think the content is already taught through the regular civics curriculum. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 166—Displaying National and State Motto, Silent Time: This bill requires all school buildings to display both the national and state mottos in the main entryway. It also requires two minutes of silent time for students prior to saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
IASB is registered undecided, but we have concerns that this is another requirement on schools. Additionally, it’s not clear what the silent time is intended for or how it will be implemented. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 167—Grooming Behavior Definition: This bill amends the definition of grooming behavior by licensed school employees to: “The process of building trust and emotional connections with a student with the intent to exploit such student.”
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. The current definition was adopted last year, so we don’t see a need to change it so quickly; however, the Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) would prefer this definition. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 189—Nonpublic School Student Extracurricular Participation: This bill requires public schools to allow resident nonpublic school students to take part in extracurricular activities not provided at the nonpublic school. Additionally, nonpublic school students will be allowed to take part at a contiguous school district if their resident district does not provide the activity. The House amended the bill to say that enrollment counts for classification purposes will count the students from the nonpublic school as 25% of the school’s enrollment in grades 9-11.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but we want districts to be able to make a local decision on sharing and providing extracurricular opportunities to nonpublic school students in their area. The bill passed the House by a vote of 63-33.
HF 190—State Assessment for Online Schools: This bill allows schools that provide education online to administer the statewide assessment online and their students take all other tests.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. There are good guardrails, like proctors, around the bill that ensure integrity. The bill passed the House by a vote of 86-11.
HF 212—Restricting Certain Food Additives in School Food: This bill would prohibit schools from buying food with certain ingredients, including red dye 40, yellow dye 7 and margarine. An amendment by the committee clarifies this would begin for the 2026–27 school year.
IASB is registered opposed on the bill. We appreciate a focus on student health when considering the foods they eat at school but have concerns about the availability and cost of foods that will meet these guidelines. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 259/SF 388—Public Notice Requirements: This bill requires school boards to post meeting notices on their website in addition to posting in a physical location that is always visible, such as on a door or outdoor bulletin board. Additionally, it requires boards to post an amended agenda if changes are made and note what the changes are. It also requires boards to post a 24-hour cancellation notice unless there is a good cause making it impractical or impossible.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We think most districts are already posting notices on their website and the requirement is not overly burdensome. We have concerns about the 24-hour cancellation notice and ensuring boards don’t have to meet just to say the meeting is cancelled, which would be an inefficient use of resources. The bill passed the House by a vote of 94-1.
HF 272—Advanced Dyslexia Specialist Endorsement Competitive Scholar Program: This bill creates a competitive scholar program designed to provide tuition reimbursement for teachers who want to pursue an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement. The reimbursement could cover as much as 75% of the tuition cost.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. Early literacy is a goal shared by all districts, and we are supportive of any program to ensure more teachers can help students with dyslexia reach proficiency. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 299/SF 6—Immunization Exemptions: This bill requires school districts to post information about immunization exemptions on their website and provide the information in registration materials.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill because the requirements are reasonably easy for schools to meet. The bill passed the House by a vote of 58–30.
HF 315—Budget Guarantee for Districts Impacted by Natural Disaster: This bill would allow districts to remain on the budget guarantee for an additional year if they are in a declared natural disaster area.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We know districts that experience a natural disaster often have enrollment loss, and this will help mitigate those losses by providing continued funding. The bill passed the House by a vote of 88–1.
HF 316—Career Exploration Curriculum & Industry-Recognized Credentials Recognition: This bill requires school districts to begin teaching career planning and pathways in grades 5 and 6. Additionally, it established a diploma seal to recognize students who have earned an industry-recognized credential that is aligned with their CTE coursework.
IASB is registered undecided. We like the idea of recognizing students for their CTE accomplishments through a diploma seal, but we have concerns about quickly implementing new curriculum on career exploration to younger students. The bill passed the House by a vote of 60–28.
HF 369—Agriculture Education Grant Program: This bill establishes a grant program to provide funding to school districts to pay for a teacher that provides instruction in agriculture, food and natural resources. Money will still need to be appropriated to pay for the grant program.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it’s an opportunity for districts to expand their offerings in agriculture-related classes. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 389—Student Abuse by School Employees: This bill was significantly amended by the House from its original form. It intends to move investigations of alleged student abuse by school employees to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Student abuse is defined in the bill as a nonaccidental injury suffered by the student as a result of actions or inaction by the employee, commission of a sexual offense, or an action by the employee that encourages a student to engage in prostitution.
HHS must notify the school district and the Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) if they receive a complaint that constitutes an allegation of student abuse by a school employee. Districts must then place the employee on administrative leave and prohibit them from entering school property until the investigation is completed.
After receiving a complaint, HHS must:
Start an investigation within 24 hours
Complete the investigation within 30 business days
Upon completion, submit a report to the school district and the BOEE
HHS, in consultation with the Department of Education, will adopt rules to implement the bill, including investigation processes and procedures.
School districts must terminate an employee if an HHS investigation determines they committed student abuse. HHS and DE will develop a model policy for handling investigations.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We still have concerns about the feasibility of moving investigations of school employees to a different department, but we appreciate the improvements from the amendment to more narrowly define which cases will be investigated by HHS. The bill passed the House by a vote of 96-0.
HF 391—Human Growth and Development Curriculum: This bill requires schools to incorporate instruction on fetal development in the curriculum for human growth and development for grades 7-12. Part of that instruction must include showing the “Baby Olivia” video or a similar video.
IASB is registered opposed to the bill, as we are on all curriculum mandates. We are opposed to the process rather than the content. We think the legislature should develop broad requirements, like human growth and development, the State Board of Education then develops content standards and local school districts should be able to choose a curriculum to meet those standards. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 392—Allowing Year-Round School Calendars: This bill would allow school districts to apply to the Department of Education for a waiver allowing a year-round school calendar through 12th grade. Currently, year-round calendars are limited to preschool through 8th grade.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it allows local control and flexibility when setting the school calendar. The bill passed the House by a vote of 91–1.
HF 393—Calculating Dropout Rate: This bill says that a student who drops out of school, returns, and drops out again will only be counted once in a school’s dropout rate, rather than counting them as a dropout both times.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. Districts work hard to get students to return to school and shouldn’t be punished if that student decides to drop out again. The bill passed the House by a vote of 89–2.
HF 395—School Bus Driver Training Requirements: This bill allows entry-level driver training that meets the federal requirements to be accepted as long as the training includes passenger endorsement training and school bus endorsement training.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We hope this will offer some flexibility and make it simpler for bus drivers to meet the training requirements, so school districts can hire the drivers they need. The bill passed the House by a vote of 94-1.
HF 400—Public Records Requests: This bill would require school districts to promptly respond to a records request and provide an approximate date on which the records will be available to the requestor and any anticipated costs associated with the request.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. These steps are already taken in most cases, and there are no specific timelines set out in the bill, so it would not be too burdensome for districts. The bill passed the House State Government Committee.
HF 471—Concussion Providers: This bill adds that someone who holds a doctorate in psychology with specialty training in neuropsychology or concussion management as a licensed health care provider can administer care when concussion protocol is required.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but we welcome any qualified providers to assist districts with concussion protocol. The bill passed the House by a vote of 97-0.
HF 515—Increased Weighting for Operational Sharing of School Resource Officers: This bill would increase the supplementary weighting for school resource officers (SROs) to five pupils.
IASB is registered to support the bill because it would increase the amount of funding a district can receive to employ an SRO. The bill passed the House by a vote of 95–0.
HF 517—Vacant School Building Demolition Grant Program: This bill would establish a fund to be used for demolition of vacant school buildings in towns with a population of less than 2,500.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. It is often more expensive to tear down a building than what the building is worth, so this helps smaller districts with that cost. The bill passed the House Economic Growth and Technology Committee and has been referred to the Appropriations Committee.
HF 520—Civics Instruction: This bill requires students to take one unit of U.S. government, increasing it from the current one-half unit requirement. It also requires instruction on civics to be included in that unit. This would begin in the 2026-27 school year.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. While we have some concerns about increasing the credit requirements, this bill is better than other bills about civics instruction and has a workable implementation timeline. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 521—Obscenity Exemptions Repeal: This bill removes the exemption for obscene material that may be used for educational purposes in a school.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We think the requirements for schools established in prior legislation, SF 496, covered this issue, so removing the exemption will not further limit what schools can provide to students. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 522—Using Therapeutic Classroom Funds for Nutritional Items: This bill allows therapeutic classroom funds to be used for assessing the nutritional needs of students by providing certain foods, restricting other foods and additives, and increasing student access to natural light.
IASB is registered opposed to the bill because the limited funds that are available through the therapeutic classroom grants should be used for proven educational purposes to ensure the students can return to their normal classroom as soon as possible. We do appreciate making this optional rather than required. The bill passed the House by a vote of 66-31.
HF 579—Dropout Prevention Equity: This bill would allow districts that are capped below the 5% amount for dropout prevention funds to increase their percentage over time. Districts would be required to hold an election that would allow them to increase their dropout prevention by .5% each year, up to the 5% maximum.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. While this would not be our ideal solution to achieving equity in dropout prevention funds, it is a mechanism that does allow districts to increase their spending on dropout prevention. The bill passed the House by a vote of 92–4.
HF 623/SF 445—Governor's Continuum of Care Proposal: This bill is the governor’s combination of childcare and preschool proposal. The bill creates a “community-based provider” that can participate in the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program. The funding will go directly to the provider, instead of through the school district like existing community partners. These community-based providers must adhere to all the same standards as a school district preschool, including the requirement to have a licensed teacher.
The bill also creates Child Care Continuum Partnership Grants, which will be grants awarded to partnerships between statewide voluntary preschool program providers and childcare centers. These grants are intended to create a full day of programming and care for children, which removes a barrier to attendance for working parents who can’t leave work to take their child from school to childcare in the middle of the day.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We would still prefer a plan that increases preschool funding through a 1.0 weighting for full-day programming, but this bill is a step in the right direction and offers more access to high-quality preschool. The bill passed both the House and Senate Education Committees.
HF 706—Open Meetings Fines and Mandatory Training: This bill increases fines for violations of open meetings laws to between $500 and $2500. If the violation is knowingly committed, the fines increase to between $5000 and $12,500.
Additionally, it requires training for newly elected public officials, including school board members, on open meetings and open records laws. The training must be 1-2 hours and can be provided by IPIB or another approved provider, like IASB. The House amended the bill to ensure school board members would be allowed to complete this training at our annual convention, even if they haven’t been officially seated on the board.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. The increased fines are very steep for unpaid school board members, but we can agree that training on open meetings and open records laws is important, and we already provide this information to our members. The bill passed the House by a vote of 95-0.
HF 768/SF 386—Filing Complaints with IPIB: This bill extends the time someone can file a complaint about an open meeting or open records violation with the Iowa Public Information Board (IPIB) from 60 to 90 days.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. After hearing IPIB’s explanation that they hope to use the extra time to resolve cases informally, we feel more comfortable with the extended timeline. The bill passed the House State Government Committee and the Senate State Government Committee.
HF 769—Alcohol on School Property: This bill allows a school board to authorize the consumption or sale of alcohol at a non-school-related event on school property, provided that the group hosting the event has been issued a five-day retail alcohol license. School boards are prohibited from securing a retail liquor license. This applies only to groups unaffiliated with the school.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but an amendment provided clarity on who will be issued the alcohol license, which addressed our main concern. The bill passed the House State Government Committee.
HF 771—Purple Star School Initiative: This bill allows the Department of Education to establish a Purple Star School Initiative that recognizes schools that have demonstrated a commitment to serving military-connected students.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it’s a good initiative to recognize schools’ effort in this area. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 782—Cell Phone Policies: This bill is the governor’s proposal to require all school districts to implement a policy to restrict cell phone use during instructional time. The bill would require policies to include:
Devices that would be available to use for instructional purposes.
How parents can communicate with students during the school day.
How parents can communicate with students during an emergency.
Protocols the school will follow to securely store a student’s device.
Discipline that will be used if a student uses their device during classroom instruction or an assessment.
A process for a parent to petition for the student to have access to their device during the day if it is for a legitimate reason related to the student’s physical or mental health.
Accommodation for students with an individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan.
The Department of Education will give guidance on the cell phone policy and how school districts must update their emergency operations plans to incorporate changes because of it. The Senate amended the bill to require the Department of Education to provide model policies by May 1, 2025.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We know many districts have already taken the time to thoughtfully implement cell phone policies that work in their district, and we were hoping new legislation would not require them to make changes to those policies. The bill passed the House by a vote of 88-9. The amended bill passed the Senate by a vote of 49-0 and will be sent back to the House for their concurrence.
HF 784/SF 450—Governor's Math Instruction Bill: This bill, proposed by the governor, aims to increase the number of students in grades K-6 who are proficient in math. The bill lays out a plan, similar to the literacy bill passed last session. The Department of Education will:
Develop and distribute resources for schools to provide families to practice math at home.
Provide professional development to teachers at schools most in need of support.
Develop a comprehensive state mathematics plan designed to increase proficiency. The House amended the bill to require the plan to be developed by July 1, 2025.
Provide a list of math screeners to identify K-6 students who need extra support.
School districts will be required to assess all K-6 students at least three times a year to determine their level of math proficiency. If a student is persistently at risk, meaning they haven’t met grade-level benchmarks on two consecutive screeners, schools will:
Assess the student’s proficiency in math at least every other week and implement interventions and supports.
Develop a personalized math plan to identify the supports needed.
Provide small group interventions if the student is not meeting expectations and making progress.
Provide intensive interventions if the student is not increasing proficiency.
These interventions will be provided until the student performs at benchmark on the statewide assessment in math or two consecutive screeners, whichever occurs first.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. This plan helps support the goal to increase math proficiency in young students across the state. The bill passed the House by a vote of 82-15.
HF 785—Charter School Board Members: This bill allows one charter school board member to be a non-Iowa resident but requires that they are a U.S. citizen.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. Although we believe all charter school board members should be Iowa residents, just as school board members live in the communities they represent, this change doesn’t fundamentally impact how charter schools are run or change any transparency or accountability standards for charter schools. The bill passed the House by a vote of 60-36.
HF 787/SF 442—TSS fixes, Out-of-State Placement Costs, Minimum Teacher Salaries, TeachIowa: This bill, proposed by the governor, offers some technical clean-up related to last year’s increase in required minimum teacher salary. It removes the tier system and instead provides the exact amount of teacher salary supplement (TSS) to districts that is required to meet the statutory minimum salaries. It allows school districts to correct their BEDS data to accurately reflect teachers’ years of service, which could provide more TSS funding if teachers move to veteran status and require a higher salary.
The bill modifies when a school district of residence is required to pay out-of-state placement costs for a student. The district will only be responsible for the educational costs of the student, not the entire cost. Additionally, if the cost is more than what the district generates in special education weighting for the student, the Department of Education will cover the additional cost.
The bill clarifies that if a retired teacher returns to teach, they are only required to be paid $50,000, rather than the veteran teacher minimum. This ensures those teachers can continue to draw their IPERS while returning to teaching.
Finally, the bill restores the TeachIowa job posting site that was replaced by the IowaWORKS site several years ago.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We like all the commonsense fixes throughout the bill and appreciate that they were made as districts navigate the new teacher salary minimums. The bill passed the House by a vote of 96-1.
HF 789—Teacher Salary Supplement (TSS) to Charter Schools: This bill requires TSS money to follow a student to a charter school, in addition to the other categorical funds that already follow the student.
IASB is registered against the bill. Since the minimum salary was raised last year, the amount of TSS school districts receive has significantly increased. It’s important to note that TSS funds are allocated based on the number of teachers a district employs, rather than on a per pupil basis like other funds. When a school district loses one student to a charter school, they don’t lose a teacher and must still pay them the required minimum salary. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 791—Firearm Safety Instruction: The bill requires districts to offer or make available a course in firearm safety for students in grades 7-12, starting with the 26-27 school year. The courses don’t have to be taught by a BOEE-licensed teacher and can be offered offsite, on Saturdays, or over the summer. The Department of Education will develop a model program based on the Hunter Education Course developed by the National Rifle Association. Districts are encouraged to offer a course for students K-6 but not required.
IASB is registered against the bill as it adds more requirements on schools. The bill passed the House Public Safety Committee.
HF 835—Mandatory Seizure Disorder Training: This bill would require training for school personnel related to seizure disorders. At least one person in every school building, starting July 1, 2025, would be required to administer medication to a student experiencing a seizure. A school nurse would meet this requirement. All school personnel, by December 31, 2026, would be required to receive training on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a seizure and steps for seizure first aid.
IASB is registered opposed to the bill because it increases the number of mandatory trainings for teachers. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 858—Concussion Training: This bill says coaches are required to complete concussion protocol training every two years.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it clarifies the training is only needed every two years, which lessens the burdens on coaches. The bill passed the House by a vote of 88-0.
HF 859—Reduction in Force Policies: The bill requires each district to have a policy on carrying out a reduction in force. The policy must include:
Whether to terminate administrative staff before carrying out a reduction in force.
Require use of practitioner performance as the sole factor or a primary factor when carrying out a reduction in force.
Identify the factors used to measure performance.
Prohibition from using a practitioner’s seniority as the sole factor or a primary factor when carrying out a reduction in force.
A timeline for notifying practitioners who may be affected and those who have been terminated.
A description of any grievance procedures for a practitioner who is terminated.
IASB is registered against the bill. Districts should have the ability to decide how to determine if a reduction in force is necessary and what factors they would consider when reducing staff. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 865—Bullying and Harassment Definition: This bill changes the definition of bullying and harassment by removing the words “based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student.” Bullying and harassment must be targeted and repeated behavior.
IASB is registered undecided. We’re not sure why the change is needed but think districts will still be able to protect students from bullying and harassment in all forms, even with the new definition. The bill passed the House by a vote of 64-33.
HF 870—Release Time for Religious Instruction: This bill allows school districts to adopt a policy that would award credit to students who complete a course in religious instruction that does not take place at the school. Students will not be counted absent if the instruction requires them to be gone for no more than five hours per week. The House amended the bill to remove the option to award credit for this instruction.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. With the removal of the option for credit, the bill reaffirms that students can miss school for religious instruction for up to five hours per week and clarifies that they must make up any work missed. The bill passed the House by a vote of 95-2.
HF 883—Feminine Hygiene Products in Schools: This bill requires districts to put feminine hygiene products in half of school bathrooms that serve students in grades 6-12. There is an appropriation to fund this mandate through the 27–28 school year.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. This is a need for students, and we appreciate that it’s a funded mandate. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 884—Allowing Chaplains in Schools: This bill would allow school districts to employ a chaplain to provide support and services to students. Districts cannot require the chaplain to have a license or certification issued by the BOEE. They will be required to undergo a background check. Districts cannot require students to utilize the chaplain’s support or services. An amendment clarifies that a chaplain cannot serve in place of a school counselor.
IASB is registered against the bill. We don’t think we should allow anyone in our schools to work with students without proper licensure or certification from the Board of Educational Examiners. The bill passed the House by a vote of 57-39.
HF 888—Homeschool Regulations & World Language Changes: This bill removes the requirement that no more than four unrelated students are enrolled in independent private instruction with the same instructor as well as the prohibition on charging tuition for independent private instruction.
Additionally, the bill says world languages that use a “grammatical gender system” will not incorporate gender neutral language in instruction of those languages. An amendment by the committee removed changes to the tuition and textbook tax credit.
IASB is registered against the bill because we are concerned the removal of the requirement for the number of students who are unrelated and taking part in independent private instruction could lead to many small and unregulated schools. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 898—Absenteeism Exemption for Military Service: This bill exempts students undergoing military entrance processing or those engaged in military service from attendance requirements, meaning they will not be considered chronically absent when missing school for these reasons.
IASB is registered undecided, only because we don’t like adding such specifics to code because it starts a slippery slope of adding other exemptions, but we’re supportive of these specific exemptions. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 900—Denying Open Enrollment Request for ELL Students: This bill allows receiving districts to deny an open enrollment request for insufficient classroom space, which could now include not having capacity to serve an English language learner.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. It passed the House Education Committee.
HF 906—Remove Certified Mail Requirement for Chronic Absenteeism: This bill removes the requirement that districts must send notice by certified mail when a student becomes chronically absent. Instead, districts will be allowed to send the notice through ordinary mail.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because the certified letters have become a large cost for districts without providing any benefit when it comes to student attendance. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 929—Publishing Educational Materials: This bill requires districts to publish additional materials on their website, including any article, website, digital material or handout. Instructional materials will be required to be organized by subject area, grade level and the teacher using the material. It must be included on the list within 10 days of being used in the classroom. Districts can meet this requirement through posting and updating the list on an ongoing basis or using a collaborative management system that can be accessed from the district's website.
Students and parents would be allowed to bring a civil action against the district if the requirements for posting materials are not met. They must first file a complaint with the principal and subsequently the school board if it is determined their complaint was not resolved.
IASB is registered against the bill, as we have serious concerns about the amount of time complying with these requirements would take. Additionally, it would limit the spontaneity of teaching and adjusting to the needs of students. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
SF 8—Use of Pronouns: This bill prohibits school districts from taking disciplinary action against employees or students for using another employee or student’s legal name.
IASB is registered undecided. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 64—Budget Guarantee for Districts Impacted by Natural Disaster: This bill would allow districts to remain on the budget guarantee for an additional year if they are in a declared natural disaster area.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We know districts that experience a natural disaster often have enrollment loss, and this will help mitigate those losses by providing continued funding. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee and has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee.
SF 444—Sharing and Reorganization Incentives: This bill reinstates and extends sharing and reorganization incentives for districts through 2030.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. These incentives help districts who make the decision to whole-grade share or reorganize. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 448—Bus Driver Training Requirements: This bill would allow districts to exempt school bus drivers from the requirement to take a course approved by the Department of Education. There is still a requirement to take a driving course approved by the Department of Transportation.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. It allows for local control on requiring an extra course for school bus drivers. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0.
SF 167—Supplemental State Aid (SSA): First, the Senate passed their proposal of 2% SSA by a vote of 29-18 and sent it to the House for their consideration. The House conformed and made their bill identical to the Senate version so it could be substituted for the Senate version. This allows the House to work from the Senate version to prevent it from having to go back through the committee process. The House amended the bill to their SSA proposal, which is much better. After all the procedural maneuvering, the House’s SSA bill includes:
A 2.25% SSA rate. This amounts to $159 million in new money, but it would still mean 145 districts are on the budget guarantee.
$22.6 million in one-time funding. This money could be used by school districts for any general fund purpose.
$5.3 million toward transportation equity. These are the payments that help districts with large transportation costs. This bill would allow 215 districts to receive the payments.
$10 toward per pupil equity. The legislature has not funded district cost per pupil (DCPP) equalization for several years, so this investment would decrease the maximum difference between DCPP and state cost per pupil from $140 to $130. The goal is to erase that differential over time.
Increases the maximum number of shared positions from 21 to 25. This would allow districts to share more positions and still receive extra funding.
IASB is registered in support of the House’s SSA proposal. While we acknowledge that 2.25% is not enough, it is the best plan out there this year. The extra incentives in the bill will make a difference, and we are hopeful the Senate will agree. The bill passed the House by a vote of 58-35 and will now be sent back to the Senate.
SF 168—Shared Operational Functions Exemptions: This bill allows the weighting assigned to a master social worker, independent social worker, mental health professional or school resource officer to be exempt from the total weighting a school district receives through operational sharing.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it allows districts to take advantage of more sharing opportunities without losing out on the added weighting. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 172—Child Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Instruction: This bill requires school districts to provide instruction on child sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and prevention instruction. The Department of Education will develop model guidelines on how to best provide the instruction. A committee amendment allows parents to opt out of the instruction.
IASB is registered undecided because it is another requirement for schools; however, the instruction is estimated to only take one hour. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 175—Human Growth and Development Curriculum Requirements: This bill would require school districts to provide instruction in grades on fetal development with a video, ultrasound or real images. An amendment on the floor removed the requirement to teach this in grades 1-3, but it would be required for grades 4-12.
IASB is registered opposed to the bill, as we are on all curriculum mandates. We are opposed to the process rather than the content. We think the legislature should develop broad requirements, like human growth and development, the State Board of Education then develops content standards and local school districts should be able to choose a curriculum to meet those standards. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 31-13.
SF 176—Extracurricular Participation for Online Students: The bill allows students who are open enrolled to an online school to participate in their resident district’s extracurricular activities only if the online school does not offer them.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. It passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0.
SF 205—School Start Date: This bill would allow school districts to begin the school year on the Monday preceding the last Monday in August, instead of the currently mandated Aug. 23.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. There are many school start date bills that have been proposed this year to allow more local control and flexibility, and this one is not tied to the state fair in any way. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 206—Use of Management Levy for Recruitment and Retention Incentives: This bill allows school boards to decide to use their management fund for teacher recruitment and retention incentives. The incentive cannot be more than 10% of the initial teacher salary and can only pay the incentives for five budget years. The board also must choose between using the fund for early retirement benefits or the recruitment and retention incentives.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. Addressing the staff shortage is a top priority for school districts, and this is a great opportunity for districts to attract and keep strong teachers. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 211—State Assessment for Online Schools: This bill allows schools that provide education online to administer the statewide assessment online and their students take all other tests.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. There are good guardrails, like proctors, around the bill that ensure integrity. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 273—Grooming Definition: This bill changes the definition of grooming again after changing it last year. The new definition now reads: “any pattern of behavior, which in light of all relevant circumstances, constitutes actions to entice or entrap a student with the intent to take advantage of such student for the benefit of the individual engaging in the pattern of behavior, including but not limited to by engaging in a sex act with the student.”
IASB is registered in support of the bill. The definition is clear while addressing the concerns of the Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) that grooming was only applicable if it ended in a sex act. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 45-2.
SF 274—Accepting Cash Payment at School Events: This bill would require school districts to accept cash as a form of payment at school events.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but we think this should be a local decision on what forms of payment will be accepted at events. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 275—Purple Star School Initiative: This bill allows the Department of Education to establish a Purple Star School Initiative that recognizes schools that have demonstrated a commitment to serving military-connected students.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it’s a good initiative to recognize schools’ effort in this area. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 41-0.
SF 277—Chronic Absenteeism Fixes: This bill aims to correct and fix some of the issues that have come up because of last year’s legislation aimed at addressing chronic absenteeism.
First, it removes the requirement that schools send a letter by certified mail to parents or guardians when a child becomes chronically absent, instead requiring it to be sent by email, ordinary mail or delivered in person. It adds exemptions to the chronic absenteeism policy, including for military service or attending a wedding or funeral. The bill also clarifies that the consequences for being chronically absent, including a school engagement meeting, will only be initiated if the absences are impacting a student’s academic achievement.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We know there are other fixes that might be required to improve the effectiveness of the new chronic absenteeism law, but this is a step in the right direction. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0.
SF 278—Robotics Organizations: This bill requires the Department of Education to provide resources to school districts to ensure their robotics clubs and organizations meet federal standards. This will allow those clubs to receive federal money to support their organization.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it offers federal funding and opportunities for students interested in robotics. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 46-0 and passed the House by a vote of 95-0. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her signature.
SF 286—Advanced Dyslexia Specialist Endorsement Competitive Scholar Program: This bill creates a competitive scholar program designed to provide tuition reimbursement for teachers who want to pursue an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement. The reimbursement could cover as much as 75% of the tuition cost. A committee amendment clarifies the funding source for the scholarship.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. Early literacy is a goal shared by all districts, and we are supportive of any program to ensure more teachers can help students with dyslexia reach proficiency. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 368—Mandatory Seizure Disorder Training: This bill would require training for school personnel related to seizure disorders. At least one person in every school building, starting July 1, 2025, would be required to administer medication to a student experiencing a seizure. A school nurse would meet this requirement. All school personnel, by December 31, 2026, would be required to receive training on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of seizure and steps for seizure first aid.
An amendment by the committee added the creation of a workgroup made up of people from both education and healthcare that would establish a schedule of mandatory training for school personnel. Additionally, any time there is a training someone wants added, the group will consider if it is necessary and how it would be added to the schedule of existing trainings.
IASB has been registered opposed to the bill because it increases the number of mandatory trainings for teachers; however, the amendment is a good compromise and something we have been pushing for several years. Now that the workgroup is added to the bill, we are in favor. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 369—Civics Test as a Graduation Requirement: This bill would require students to obtain a 60% score on a test that uses questions from the U.S. citizenship test to graduate or earn a GED. Students could take the test as many times as needed to earn a passing score. An amendment by the committee instructs the Department of Education to distribute a 100-question test for school districts to use.
IASB is registered against the bill because it imposes a graduation requirement and requires districts to use a specific test. While we support the goal of civics education, local school districts should be able to choose how they want to assess students. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 389—Public Records Requests: This bill would require school districts to promptly respond to a records request and provide an approximate date on which the records will be available to the requestor and any anticipated costs associated with the request.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. These steps are already taken in most cases, and there are no specific timelines set out in the bill, so it would not be too burdensome for districts. The bill passed the Senate State Government Committee.
SF 510/HF 845—Elective Social Studies Courses in Religious Scripture: This bill would establish standards for elective social studies courses on religious scripture, specifically the Bible. It does not make this an offer and teach requirement, but rather allows a district to decide if they want to offer such a course. A recommendation could come from the district’s school improvement advisory committee.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We appreciate that it is a “may” instead of a requirement to offer this type of course, and we think if a study of one religion is allowed, we should be able to offer other religions, as well. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 516—Impact of Technology on Cognitive Function: The bill requires the Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services to form a workgroup to investigate the impact of technology use in education on cognitive function and academic performance of students.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. It passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 518—Required Administrative Leave for School Employees: This bill would require employees to be put on administrative leave if they have a case pending before the BOEE related to child abuse with a finding of probable cause or if the employee was involved in any action that a court found was negligent and the school is investigating the employee’s actions. The employee must remain on leave until the BOEE case or district’s investigation is complete.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 525/HF 851—Nutrition Instruction, School Meals: This bill adds instruction on nutrition to the health curriculum for all grade levels that must emphasize the importance of animal- based protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables. Additionally, CTE courses in the agriculture strand must include instruction related to food production and the benefits of local sourcing. An amendment by the House pushes the implementation of this curriculum to July 1, 2026.
The bill also directs the Department of Education to request a waiver from the requirements of the national school lunch program to exempt Iowa from certain requirements for school lunch and breakfast, like sodium limits, whole grain requirements and fruit and vegetable variety. They would also seek permission to substitute or modify federal requirements for state-specific guidelines to align with Iowa’s dietary recommendations.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We appreciate a focus on student nutrition and teaching students the importance of a good diet, but we are concerned about the potential loss of federal funds for school food programs if a waiver is granted. The bill passed the House by a vote of 60-36.
SF 574—Retention Fees for Public Improvement Contracts: This bill was significantly amended on the Senate floor to only make one change to current law. School districts, and other public entities, will be allowed to withhold 3%, rather than the current 5%, in retainage fees during a construction project. These fees are designed to ensure that work is completed on a project.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We had serious concerns with the original bill, but the amended version is much better for school districts to ensure they still have recourse with contractors. It passed the Senate by a vote of 45-4.
SF 583—School Safety Assessment Teams: This bill allows school districts to set up a school safety assessment team that would be a collaboration between local law enforcement, mental health providers, social workers and the school to provide resources and intervene when a student poses a safety risk to the school, employees or other students.
IASB is registered for the bill. We support the overall intent of the bill and appreciate that it is a local decision to set up the school safety assessment team. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 48-0.
Signed by the Governor
SF 171—Reorganization and Dissolution Timeline: This bill extends the timeline for completing a school district dissolution or reorganization to allow the process to be completed without repeating in steps that have already been taken, like required public hearings and votes.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it helps Orient-Macksburg finish their dissolution process after July 1 of this year. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 44-0 and the House by a vote of 92-0. Governor Reynolds signed the bill into law on March 12, 2025.
Dead Bills
HF 810—Modified Supplemental State Aid Amounts Based on Open Enrollment
HF 737—Establishing the School Health-Related Emergency Response Plan Competitive Grant Program
HF 733—Relates to School Bus Driver Instruction
HF 734—Instruction in United States Government for Grades 9–12
HSB 282—Federal Immigration Cooperation
HSB 283—BOEE Issued Certificates to Provide Instruction
HF 716—Health Care Coverage of Certain Nonstate Public Employees and Officials
HSB 276—Modifying the Minimum Amount of Instruction Provided
HSB 278—Physical Education Requirements for Grades 7–12
HF 629—Enrollment of Children of Military Families
HF 585—Severance Payments for School Administrator Employment Contracts
HF 586—Response to Fire Alarms Activated on School Grounds
HF 587—Establishment of a Junior Fire Fighter Program
HF 552—Chronic Absenteeism and School Engagement Meetings
HF 553—Use of Revenues from the District Management Levy for School Security Personnel
HF 564—Contracts for the Construction of Public Improvement
HF 501—School District Dissolution Proposals and Election Dates for Mergers
HF 502—Activities Administration Authorization Established by the BOEE
HF 535—Review of Iowa’s Public Education System
HF 536—Firearm, Hunting and Wildlife Instruction
HSB 228—Individual Property Tax Statements Mailed to Owners and Taxpayers
SF 410—Public Comment Periods During Board Meetings
HSB 212—Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Requirements
SSB 1164—Technology, Engineering or Manufacturing Instruction
HF 445—Modifying Education Savings Account (ESA) Application Periods
SF 344—Giving Community Organizations Reasonable Access to School Property
SF 364—Modifying the Periods to Bring Certain Civil Actions by Victims of Sexual Abuse
SF 321—Prohibiting the Expenditure of Certain Public Moneys for Dues or Membership Fees to High School Organizations
SF 332—Transportation for Open Enrolled Students
SF 335—Prohibiting Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and DEI Instruction
HF 371—Organization Requirements for High School Athletic Contests and Competitions
HF 407—Payment of Certain Moneys Received from the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund
HF 332—Requiring Administrators to Provide Instruction
HF 335—Moneys Deposited into Student Activity Funds
HF 336—Holocaust Instruction for Students and Teachers
HF 215—Child Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention
HF 221—Bond Issuance Limitations
HF 253—Computer Science Instruction Requirements
HF 262—Teacher Minimum Salary Budget Adjustments
SF 204—Private and World Language Instruction Modifications
SF 177—Ability to Examine School Public Records
SF 178—Civil Actions Against School Board Members and Superintendents
SF 181—Requirements for Electronic Resources in Grades K–12
SF 186—Executive Officers of School Boards
HF 150—Prohibiting Standards-Based Grading
HSB 97—Gulf of America and Mount McKinley in Classroom Instruction
SSB 1056—IPERS Investments
HF 119—Content, Career and Technical Secondary Authorizations
HF 121—Home and Community-Based Services Waivers
HF 113—Expenditures From Certain Funds by Small School Districts
HSB 84—Prohibits Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Instruction
SF 115—Human Growth and Development Course Enrollment
SF 116—Exposing Minors to Obscene Performances
HF 101—Bond Sale Amount Limitations
SF 82—Relates to Bonds Issued by a School District in Anticipation of Revenue
SSB 1026—Membership of Teacher Quality Committees
SF 60—Calculation of Minimum State Foundation Aid for School Districts
HF 67 & HF 11—Earliest Possible Start Date for School Districts
HSB 10—Who May Provide Health Services to Students
HF 8—Student Access to Broad-Spectrum Cannabidiol Products
HF 9—School Security Personnel Grant Program
SF 34—K–5 Physical Activity Requirements
SSB 1013—Primary Elections for School Board Members
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