Bill > HF2754

This bill makes numerous changes to Iowa's education laws, primarily focusing on charter schools and expanding their operational and approval processes by allowing the University of Northern Iowa to also authorize them alongside the State Board of Education, and consolidating previous charter school legislation into a new subchapter within chapter 256E. It also modifies provisions related to how charter schools are funded, how Area Education Agencies (AEAs) provide services to them, and allows students enrolled in charter schools to participate in extracurricular activities offered by public schools, similar to students in accredited nonpublic schools. The bill also addresses teacher training and licensure, expands the statewide voluntary preschool program to include community-based providers directly, and clarifies rules around education savings accounts, independent accreditation for nonpublic schools, and private instruction, including recognizing diplomas issued by students educated through competent private instruction or independent private instruction. Additionally, it makes changes to the Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) to include charter school employees and establishes a charter school facilities revolving loan program.