Bill Text: IA SF2223 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act providing for consolidation of area education agencies.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-13 - Subcommittee: Sinclair, Chelgren, and Dvorsky. S.J. 307. [SF2223 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-SF2223-Introduced.html
Senate File 2223 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY CHELGREN A BILL FOR 1 An Act providing for consolidation of area education agencies. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 6001XS (2) 87 je/jh PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 273.23, subsection 1, Code 2018, is 1 2 amended to read as follows: 1 3 1. A petition filed under section 273.21 or a reorganization 1 4 plan submitted in compliance with section 273.21A shall state 1 5 the number of directors on the initial board which shall be 1 6 either seven or nine directors. The petition or plan shall 1 7 specify the number of directors to be retained from each area, 1 8 and those numbers shall be proportionate to the populations 1 9 of the agencies. If the proportionate balance of directors 1 10 among the affected agencies specified in the petition or plan 1 11 is affected by school districts petitioning to be excluded 1 12 from the reorganization, or if the proposal specified in the 1 13 plan does not comply with the requirement for proportionate 1 14 representation, the state board shall modify the proposal. 1 15 However, all area education agencies affected shall retain at 1 16 least one member. 1 17 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 273.21A Consolidation of area 1 18 education agencies. 1 19 On and after July 1, 2019, the number of area education 1 20 agencies shall not exceed five. Area education agencies shall 1 21 reorganize as necessary to implement this requirement. Area 1 22 education agencies engaging in such reorganization shall be 1 23 contiguous. Sections 273.22 and 273.23 shall apply to such 1 24 reorganizations. 1 25 Sec. 3. IMPLEMENTATION. Area education agencies engaging 1 26 in initial reorganization pursuant to section 273.21A, as 1 27 enacted by this Act, shall complete the procedures described 1 28 in section 273.21, subsection 3, paragraphs "a" through 1 29 "g". However, reorganization plans shall be submitted to 1 30 the state board no later than January 1, 2019. The state 1 31 board shall review a reorganization plan and shall, prior to 1 32 March 15, 2019, either approve the plan as submitted, approve 1 33 the plan contingent upon compliance with the state board's 1 34 recommendations, or disapprove the plan. A contingently 1 35 approved plan shall be resubmitted with modifications to the 2 1 department not later than May 1, 2019. If one or more area 2 2 education agencies do not timely submit a reorganization plan, 2 3 the department of education shall, in consultation with such 2 4 agencies, prepare and approve a reorganization plan for such 2 5 agencies. An approved plan shall take effect on July 1, 2019. 2 6 EXPLANATION 2 7 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 8 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 9 This bill provides that the number of area education 2 10 agencies shall not exceed five on and after July 1, 2019. 2 11 There are currently nine area education agencies. The bill 2 12 requires area education agencies to reorganize as necessary to 2 13 implement this requirement and specifies that area education 2 14 agencies engaging in such reorganization shall be contiguous. 2 15 The bill provides that Code sections 273.22 and 273.23, 2 16 relating to the terms of employment of area education agency 2 17 employees and the organization of initial area education agency 2 18 boards, apply to such reorganizations. 2 19 The bill provides a timeline for the implementation of 2 20 reorganization of area education agencies by July 1, 2019. LSB 6001XS (2) 87 je/jh
