Title VII, EDUCATION, HISTORY, AND CULTURE (Ch. 256 - 305B)

The director of the department of education shall adopt rules for the keeping of accounts and records and the making of reports by or under the supervision of school boards. The accounts and records shall at all times be available for inspection and audit by authorized officials …

The provisions of the federal National School Lunch Act and the federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §1751 – 1785, and the benefit of all funds appropriated under the Acts, are accepted by the state of Iowa. [C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §283A.7 ] 94 Acts, ch 1193, §28

Boards of directors of school corporations may authorize the use by senior citizen organizations of school meal facilities subject to reasonable rules and regulations of the board. Such use shall not interfere with the use of the facilities for public school purposes. The board m…

School districts may purchase, erect, or otherwise acquire a building for use as a school meal facility, and equip a building for that use, and pay for the acquisition or equipping from funds available in the physical plant and equipment levy fund, subject to the terms of section…

A student achievement and teacher quality program is established to promote high student achievement. The program shall consist of the following major elements: 1. Career paths with compensation levels that strengthen Iowa’s ability to recruit and retain teachers. 2. Professional…

1. The department shall establish an evaluator training program to improve the skills of school district evaluators in making employment decisions, making recommendations for licensure, and moving teachers through a career path as established under this chapter . The department s…

1. Findings and intent. The general assembly finds that students whose first language is not English, who have special needs, or who come from low-income backgrounds face potential obstacles to learning. Schools across Iowa, both urban and rural, have increasing numbers of studen…

In developing administrative rules for consideration by the state board, the department shall consult with stakeholders who might reasonably be affected by the proposed rule, including persons representing teachers, administrators, school boards, approved practitioner preparation…

1. For each fiscal year in which moneys are appropriated by the general assembly for purposes of the student achievement and teacher quality program, the moneys shall be allocated as follows in the following priority order: a. (1) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and e…

1. Intent. The intent of this section is to create a process by which select Iowa school districts research, develop, and implement projects designed to identify promising practices related to enhanced teacher compensation career ladders and performance pay models. 2. Commission.…

1. To promote continuous improvement in Iowa’s quality teaching workforce and to give Iowa teachers the opportunity for career recognition that reflects the various roles teachers play as educational leaders, a framework for Iowa teacher career paths, leadership roles, and compen…

1. Instructional coach model. The instructional coach and curriculum and professional development leader model shall include, at a minimum, the following levels and requirements: a. Beginning teacher level. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, the beginning teacher shall b…

Any comparable system of career paths and compensation for teachers approved pursuant to section 284.15 , including the instructional coach model set forth in section 284.16 , shall include, at a minimum, all of the following components: 1. a. For the fiscal year beginning July 1…

As used in this chapter , unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Beginning teacher” means an individual serving under an initial or intern license, issued under chapter 256, subchapter VII, part 3 , who is assuming a position as a teacher. “Beginning teacher” includes an indi…

1. For purposes of this chapter and for developing teacher evaluation criteria under chapter 279 , the Iowa teaching standards are as follows: a. Demonstrates ability to enhance academic performance and support for and implementation of the school district’s student achievement g…

1. a. For the school year beginning July 1, 2009, if the licensed employees of a school district or area education agency receiving funds pursuant to sections 257.10 and 257.37A are organized under chapter 20 for collective bargaining purposes, the school board and the certified …

1. A school district or area education agency is eligible to receive moneys appropriated for purposes specified in this chapter if the school board applies to the department to participate in the student achievement and teacher quality program and submits a written statement decl…

1. A beginning teacher mentoring and induction program is created to promote excellence in teaching, enhance student achievement, build a supportive environment within school districts and area education agencies, increase the retention of promising beginning teachers, and promot…

1. The department shall coordinate a statewide network of professional development for Iowa teachers. A school district or professional development provider that offers a professional development program in accordance with section 256.9, subsection 42 , shall demonstrate that the…

1. The general assembly finds and declares all of the following: a. That instruction in high-quality computer science for elementary, middle school, and high school students establishes a foundation for personal and professional success in a high-technology, knowledge-based Iowa …

1. A school district shall provide for an annual review of each teacher’s performance for purposes of assisting teachers in making continuous improvement, documenting continued competence in the Iowa teaching standards, identifying teachers in need of improvement, or to determine…

An administrator quality program is established to promote high student achievement and enhanced educator quality. The program shall consist of the following three major components: 1. Mentoring and induction programs that provide support for administrators in accordance with sec…

As used in this chapter , unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Administrator” means an individual holding a professional administrator license issued under chapter 256, subchapter VII, part 3, who is employed in a school district administrative position by a school district…

By July 1, 2008, each school board shall provide for evaluations for administrators under individual professional development plans developed in accordance with section 279.23A , and the Iowa standards for school administrators and related criteria adopted by the state board in a…

Effective July 1, 2007, each school district shall participate in the administrator quality program, and the board of directors of each school district shall do all of the following: 1. Implement a beginning administrator mentoring and induction program as provided in this chapte…

1. A beginning administrator mentoring and induction program is created to promote excellence in school leadership, improve classroom instruction, enhance student achievement, build a supportive environment within school districts, increase the retention of promising school leade…

1. Each school district shall be responsible for the provision of professional growth programming for individuals employed in a school district administrative position by the school district or area education agency as deemed appropriate by the board of directors of the school di…

A school district shall conduct an annual evaluation of an administrator who holds a professional administrator license issued under chapter 256, subchapter VII, part 3, for purposes of assisting the administrator in making continuous improvement, documenting continued competence…

1. To the extent moneys are available, a school district shall receive one thousand five hundred dollars per beginning administrator participating in the program. Moneys received by a school district pursuant to this section shall be expended to provide each mentor with an award …

1. a. The board of directors in every school district shall provide transportation, either directly or by reimbursement for transportation, for all resident pupils attending public school, kindergarten through twelfth grade, except that: (1) Elementary pupils shall be entitled to…

The powers and duties of the local school boards shall be to: 1. Provide transportation for each resident pupil who attends public school, and each resident pupil who attends a nonpublic school, and who is entitled to transportation under the laws of this state. 2. Establish, mai…

The establishment and operation of bus routes and the contracting for transportation shall be based upon the following considerations: 1. Each bus route shall be planned and adjusted to utilize the normal seating capacity of each bus insofar as it is possible to do so. 2. Each bu…

In the event of a disagreement between a school patron and the board of the school district, the patron if dissatisfied with the decision of the district board, may appeal to the area education agency board, notifying the secretary of the district in writing within ten days of th…

In the event of a disagreement between the board of a school district and the board of an area education agency, the board of the school district may appeal to the director of the department of education and the procedure and times provided for in section 285.12 shall prevail in …

1. Any person who operates or permits to be operated as a school bus to transport pupils, any vehicle which does not comply with the requirements provided by law or by the rules and regulations of the department of education, or for which there is not a valid temporary certificat…

The failure of any local district to comply with the provisions of this chapter or any other laws relating to the transportation of pupils, or any rules made by the department of education under this chapter or the final decisions of the area education agency board, or the final …

As used in this chapter , “nonpublic school” means those nonpublic schools accredited by the department of education as provided in section 256.11 and nonpublic institutions which comply with state board of education standards for providing special education programs. [C79, 81, §…

1. a. Boards of directors of school districts shall be required to provide transportation services to nonpublic school pupils as provided in section 285.1 when the general assembly appropriates funds to the department of education for the payment of claims for transportation cost…

1. A parent or legal guardian of a student attending an accredited nonpublic school, who furnishes transportation for the student pursuant to section 285.1, subsection 17 , paragraph “c” , and who meets the requirements of subsection 2 of this section , is entitled to reimburseme…

1. When a board closes its elementary school facilities for lack of pupils or by action of the board, it shall, if there is a school bus service available in the area, designate for attendance the school operating the buses, provided the board of such school is willing to receive…

1. a. Contracts for school bus service with private parties shall be in writing and be for the transportation of children who attend public school and children who attend nonpublic school. Such contracts shall define the route, the length of time, service contracted for, the comp…

The director of the department of education shall employ the necessary qualified personnel to implement this chapter . The appropriation provided by this chapter may be expended in part for the direction and supervision provided by the chapter which shall include salaries and all…

The powers and duties of the department shall be to: 1. Exercise general supervision over the school transportation system in the state. 2. Review and establish the location of bus routes which are located in more than one area education agency when the area education agency boar…

The powers and duties of the respective area education agency boards shall be to: 1. Enforce all laws and all rules and regulations of the department of education relating to transportation. 2. Review and approve all transportation arrangements between districts in the agency and…

It shall be unlawful for any pupil, registered as such, and attending any public high school, district, primary, or graded school, which is partially or wholly maintained by public funds, to join, become a member of, or to solicit any other pupil of any such school to join, or be…

The directors of all schools shall enforce the provisions of section 287.1 and shall have full power and authority to make, adopt, and modify all rules and regulations which, in their judgment and discretion, may be necessary for the proper governing of such schools and enforcing…