Last week, House and Senate Ways and Means Committee chairmen, Representative Bobby Kaufmann and Senator Dan Dawson, introduced their property tax reform proposal (HSB 313 and SSB 1208). IASB participated in a meeting with both chairs and other entities representing taxing authorities and received a general overview of their initial bill draft. However, the clearer message from that meeting is that this is work in progress and they want and value our feedback and input. IASB is meeting with both chairs the week of the 17th to discuss the bill. They also were very clear that this bill is not moving quickly. It was reassuring to know that they value our input and are moving slowly to better understand the impact on schools and the taxpayer. 

The proposed phase out of the residential rollback is the key to developing the numbers on how this will impact school districts. This data has not yet been released by the Department of Management. IASB will not be releasing any evaluation of the impact until those numbers are available. We value providing accurate information, so hold tight and make no assumptions about the impact until we have the data to make that assessment.   

In the meantime, here’s a very summary of the provisions. Please note that any and all of these are subject to change as this bill moves through the process and represent our best understanding of a very complicated bill. 

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 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 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 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. 

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. 

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. 

• Funding incentives for preschool programs and childcare providers who work collaboratively to provide a “continuum of care” for young students. 

• Requiring all districts to have a policy that restricts cell phone use during instructional time. The legislation will serve as a minimum requirement and allow districts to do more if they choose.

• An emphasis on math education through early identification, progress monitoring, and evidence-based intervention, as well as professional development for teachers and resources for parents to use at home.  

• Passage of the U.S. Citizenship test as a graduation requirement to enhance civics education. 

• Reinstating the Teach Iowa job site within the department of education (and xxx funding). 

• Changes to the paraeducator apprenticeship program to provide additional flexibilities including elimination of the need to have a paraeducator certificate and a job offer before securing a teacher intern license.