(Des Moines) The Iowa House has passed several education and athletics-related bills, addressing key issues in student participation, funding, and school performance evaluations.
Iowa House District 18 Representative Tom Moore said House File 513 relates to eighth grade sports participation. This bill allows eighth graders to compete in high school athletics. Previously, eighth graders could only participate in baseball or softball; this new legislation allows eighth graders to participate in every high school sport offered.
House File 393 deals with the impact of student dropouts. Moore said the Department of Education evaluates schools across Iowa by using school performance profiles. Overall, these profiles calculate achievement scores for each school. Specifically, these scores include a performance grade based on attendance. Thus, this bill specifies that if a student drops out, goes back to school, and then drops out again, that second dropout will not negatively affect the school’s performance grade.
House File 579 has to do with funding limits for At-Risk Student programs. This bill allows school districts who have been locked in at a low rate for at risk students, secondary students who attend alternative programs or alternative schools, and returning dropouts by equalizing their funding rate in comparison to other schools that were locked in at a higher rate.
And, House File 783 relates to the Iowa High School Athletic Conferences. Specifically, this bill establishes a conference realignment committee that would oversee high school conference affiliations; this would make it easier for schools to change conferences as needed.
