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IA SF332

IA SF332
A bill for an act relating to the transportation to and from school of pupils participating in open enrollment.


summary

Introduced
02/17/2025
In Committee
02/17/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

91st General Assembly

Bill Summary

This bill relates to the transportation to and from school of pupils participating in open enrollment. Current law provides that a receiving district with a total enrollment of less than 2,000 students may send school vehicles not more than two miles into the district of residence of the pupil who open enrolls, for the purpose of transporting the pupil to and from school in the receiving district, if the pupil’s primary residence is closer to the attendance center the pupil attends in the receiving district than the residence is to the attendance center the pupil would be assigned in the sending district. The bill modifies this provision to allow a receiving district with a total enrollment of less than 2,000 students to send school vehicles into the district of residence of the pupil who open enrolls, for the purpose of transporting the pupil to and from school in the receiving district, if the pupil’s primary residence is closer to the attendance center the pupil attends in the receiving district than the residence is to the attendance center the pupil would be assigned in the sending district, without any restrictions related to mileage. Current law also provides that a receiving district with a total enrollment of at least 2,000 students may send school vehicles two miles or more into the district of residence of the pupil who open enrolls, regardless of the distance between the pupil’s primary residence and the attendance center the pupil attends in the receiving district or the attendance center the pupil would be assigned in the sending district, if certain specified requirements are satisfied. The bill strikes the two-mile provision. The bill modifies this provision to provide that a receiving district with a total enrollment of at least 2,000 students may send school vehicles into the district of residence of the pupil who open enrolls, regardless of the distance between the pupil’s primary residence and the attendance center the pupil attends in the receiving district or the attendance center the pupil would be assigned in the sending district, if certain specified requirements are satisfied, without any restrictions related to mileage.

AI Summary

This bill modifies transportation rules for students participating in open enrollment in Iowa. Currently, school districts with fewer than 2,000 students can send school vehicles up to two miles into another district to transport open-enrolled students, but only if the student's residence is closer to the receiving district's school. The bill removes the two-mile restriction for smaller districts, allowing them more flexibility in transportation routes. Similarly, for districts with 2,000 or more students, the bill eliminates the existing two-mile or more transportation limitation, permitting these larger districts to send school vehicles into another district's territory without mileage constraints, as long as certain specified requirements are met. These changes aim to provide school districts with greater discretion in transporting open-enrolled students, potentially making school choice more accessible by reducing transportation barriers. Open enrollment is a policy that allows students to attend schools outside their home district, subject to certain conditions and approvals.

Committee Categories

Education

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Subcommittee: Evans, Kraayenbrink, and Zimmer. S.J. 314. (on 02/19/2025)

bill text


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