Iowa Code § 257.37 — IA Code / Title VII / Chapter 257 / Section 257.37
Funding media and educational services.
Status: in_force

Media services and educational services provided by a school district or through the area education agency shall be funded, to the extent provided, by an addition to the combined district cost of each school district, determined as follows:

(1) For the budget year beginning July 1, 1991, and succeeding budget years, the total amount funded in each area for media services shall be computed as provided in this subsection. For the budget year beginning July 1, 1991, the total amount funded in each area for media services in the base year shall be divided by the enrollment served in the base year to provide an area media services cost per pupil in the base year, and the department of management shall compute the state media services cost per pupil in the base year which is equal to the average of the area media services costs per pupil in the base year. For the budget year beginning July 1, 1991, and succeeding budget years, the department of management shall compute the supplemental state aid for media services in the budget year by multiplying the state media services cost per pupil in the base year times the state percent of growth for the budget year, and the total amount funded in each area for media services cost in the budget year equals the area media services cost per pupil in the base year plus the supplemental state aid for media services in the budget year times the enrollment served in the budget year. For fiscal years beginning before July 1, 2025, funds shall be paid to area education agencies as provided in section 257.35. For fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2024, funds not required to be paid to an area education agency may be used by the school district for any school district general fund purpose.

(2) Up to thirty percent of the budget of an area for media services may be expended for media resource material including the purchase or replacement of material required in section 273.6, subsection 1.

(3) For the budget year beginning July 1, 1991, and succeeding budget years, the total amount funded in each area for educational services shall be computed as provided in this subsection. For the budget year beginning July 1, 1991, the total amount funded in each area for educational services in the base year shall be divided by the enrollment served in the area in the base year to provide an area educational services cost per pupil in the base year, and the department of management shall compute the state educational services cost per pupil in the base year, which is equal to the average of the area educational services costs per pupil in the base year. For the budget year beginning July 1, 1991, and succeeding budget years, the department of management shall compute the supplemental state aid for educational services by multiplying the state educational services cost per pupil in the base year times the state percent of growth for the budget year, and the total amount funded in each area for educational services for the budget year equals the area educational services cost per pupil for the base year plus the supplemental state aid for educational services in the budget year times the enrollment served in the area in the budget year. For fiscal years beginning before July 1, 2025, funds shall be paid to area education agencies as provided in section 257.35. For fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2024, funds not required to be paid to an area education agency may be used by the school district for any school district general fund purpose.

(4) “Enrollment served” means the basic enrollment of all school districts within the boundaries of the area education agency plus the number of nonpublic school pupils served by the area education agency with media services or educational services, as applicable, except that if a nonpublic school pupil or a pupil attending another district under a whole grade sharing agreement or open enrollment receives services through an area other than the area of the pupil’s residence, the pupil shall be deemed to be served by the area of the pupil’s residence, which shall by contractual arrangement reimburse the area through which the pupil actually receives services. Each school district shall include in the enrollment report submitted pursuant to section 257.6, subsection 1, the number of nonpublic school pupils within each school district for media and educational services served by the area. However, the school district shall not include in the enrollment report nonpublic school pupils receiving classes or services funded entirely by federal grants or allocations.

(5) (a) If an area education agency does not serve nonpublic school pupils in a manner comparable to services provided public school pupils for media and educational services, as determined by the state board of education, the state board shall instruct the department of management to reduce the funds for media services and educational services within the area one time by an amount to compensate for such reduced services. The media services budget shall be reduced by an amount equal to the product of the cost per pupil in basic enrollment for the budget year for media services times the difference between the enrollment served and the basic enrollment recorded for the area. The educational services budget shall be reduced by an amount equal to the product of the cost per pupil in basic enrollment for the budget year for educational services times the difference between the enrollment served and the basic enrollment recorded for the area.

(5) (b) This subsection applies only to media and educational services which cannot be diverted for religious purposes.

(5) (c) Notwithstanding this subsection, an area education agency shall distribute to nonpublic schools media materials purchased wholly or partially with federal funds in a manner comparable to the distribution of such media materials to public schools as determined by the director of the department of education.

(6) For the budget year beginning July 1, 2002, and each succeeding budget year, notwithstanding the requirements of this section for determining the budgets and funding of media services and education services, an area education agency or school district may expend for special education support services an amount that exceeds the payment for special education support services in order to maintain the level of required special education support services in the area education agency or the school district, as applicable.

91 Acts, ch 6, §2; 91 Acts, ch 267, §228; 2002 Acts, ch 1167, §3, 6; 2003 Acts, ch 178, §42, 43; 2006 Acts, ch 1152, §26; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §180; 2012 Acts, ch 1138, §25; 2013 Acts, ch 88, §7; 2013 Acts, ch 121, §32, 42; 2024 Acts, ch 1002, §32, 37, 38