Each attendance center must establish an oversight review committee that will develop a policy on when a student who has been removed from the classroom may be readmitted. The committee will be made up of two teachers selected by the other teachers in the building, and a staff member selected by the principal. 

For a nonviolent disruption: 

• A teacher is authorized remove a student and put them under the principal or their designee’s supervision for at least 30 minutes. 

• A kindergarten through fifth grade student who is removed from a classroom can’t return until the teacher and principal meet to discuss the readmission. 

• A 6-12 student who is removed from a classroom can’t return until the teacher and principal to discuss the readmission, which, at the earliest, will be the next school day. 

• If a student is removed more than once, the teacher, principal, a guidance counselor, and the student’s parent will meet to establish a plan to address the student’s behavior. 

For a violent disruption: 

• A teacher is authorized to remove a student and put them under the principal or their designee’s supervision.  

• A kindergarten through fifth grade student who is removed from a classroom can’t return until the teacher and principal meet to discuss the readmission. 

• A 6-12 student who is removed from a classroom can’t return until the teacher and principal to discuss the readmission, which, at the earliest, will be the next school day. 

• If a removal happens two or more times in a semester, the principal will assign the student either in or out-of-school suspension and recommend an alternative learning environment to the superintendent. 

A nonviolent disruption can be: disorderly conduct, abusive or profane language, bullying, or repeatedly disruptive behavior. A violent disruption can be: injury, property damage, or assault. 

If a student is removed from a classroom for assaulting the teacher and the teacher does not consent to the student returning, the student shall not be readmitted.  

The second section to the bill relates to procedures following the removal of a student with an individualized education plan (IEP).  

In the IEP meeting after a removal, the team must discuss: 

• Appropriateness of the student’s current educational programming. 

• If adjustments should be made to the IEP to address the behavior. 

• If the student’s current location or an alternative learning environment would best provide the student with a free appropriate public education. 

• Accommodations the student requires and whether those can be provided in the general education environment. 

• The impact providing special education services in the general education environment will have on the student and other students in the classroom. 

Principals will be required to: 

• Carry out manifestation determination review meetings after a student is placed in a new learning environment. 

• Impose appropriate discipline according to school district policy and federal law. 

• Perform functional behavior assessments as needed. 

• Adjust behavioral intervention plans as needed. 

After a nonviolent or violent disruption, the principal must make a mental health professional, guidance counselor, or behavioral interventionist available for a trauma debrief if the teacher requests it. 

Teachers must be granted up to three days of leave following an injury as a result of a student’s violent disruption. A teacher may be granted more leave if they provide a doctor’s note. 

A teacher may appeal to the school board a principal’s refusal to allow a teacher to remove a student or a principal’s readmission of a student. 

A teacher can request a meeting of a student’s IEP team at any time. This can be denied by an administrator if they provide why federal law does not require the team to meet. 

All teachers responsible for implementing a student’s IEP are required to read the IEP, so they know their responsibilities and the accommodations and supports that must be provided. Regular education teachers will provide written notice to the special education teacher that they have read the IEP. An amendment by the Senate only requires teachers to read the new modifications and accommodations portion of the IEP in order to effectively implement it. At least one paraeducator must attend all IEP meetings. 

All district employees who are part of the IEP team will receive training related to least restrictive environment requirements under federal law. 

All teachers will receive professional development that: 

• Supports serving students with disabilities 

• Provides information on the requirements of providing a free appropriate public education, including the district’s responsibility to evaluate a student who may have a disability 

• Outlines the supports and services through an IEP and how the teacher is responsible for implementing it. 

IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We appreciate much of the provisions in this version, especially the oversight review committee being able to adopt a policy for their attendance center. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 44-0 and passed the House by a vote of 87-4. It now goes to Governor Reynolds for her consideration.  

HF 2754—Charter School and ESA Omnibus: This bill combines several proposals to make changes to charter and nonpublic schools: 

• Allows the University of Northern Iowa to authorize charter schools.

• Removes outdated code language references to “innovation zone schools”.

• Requires teacher salary supplement (TSS) funding to follow students to a charter school.

• Allows charter school students to participate in extracurricular activities in their resident district in the same manner as nonpublic school students do now.

• Requires public schools to provide driver education to resident charter school students. The charter school will be responsible for the cost.  

• Allows charter school employees to participate in IPERS.

• Creates a revolving loan fund, administered by the Iowa Finance Authority, to assist charter schools in purchasing and renovating school buildings.  

• Adds a second application window for ESAs to account for students wishing to receive an ESA for the second semester.

• Requires the Department of Education to convene a working group to make recommendations on a schedule for required teacher trainings.

• Allows a community-based provider to directly participate in the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program instead of partnering with a school district.

• Allows charter school students to participate in concurrent enrollment through the school district where the charter school is located.

• Requires districts to submit the reason for an open enrollment denial to the Department of Education.

The bill also includes provisions impacting independent private instruction. It would allow for instruction of more than four unrelated students and to charge fees or tuition for the instruction. Additionally, students who complete a secondary program of competent or independent private instruction will be deemed to have completed a high school education, and the diploma will be accepted as any other high school diploma would be. 

IASB is registered against the bill. We think TSS money should stay with the school district because we use it to meet minimum teacher salary requirements and must retain staff, even if one or two students choose to attend a charter school. The bill passed the House by a vote of 53-34 and passed the Senate by a vote of 29-17.