reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.27 - Discharge of teacher.

279.27 Discharge of teacher.
1. A teacher may be discharged at any time during the contract year for just cause. The superintendent or the superintendent’s designee, shall notify the teacher immediately that the superintendent will recommend in writing to the board at a regular or special meeting of the board held not more than fifteen days after notification has been given to the teacher that the teacher’s continuing contract be terminated effective immediately following a decision of the board. The procedure for dismissal shall be as provided in section 279.15, subsection 2, and sections 279.16 through 279.19. The superintendent may suspend a teacher under this section pending hearing and determination by the board.
2. For purposes of this section, “just cause” includes but is not limited to a violation of the code of professional conduct and ethics of the board of educational examiners if the board has taken disciplinary action against a teacher, during the six months following issuance by the board of a final written decision and finding of fact after a disciplinary proceeding.
[C73, §1734; C97, §2782; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §4237; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, §279.24; C77, 79, 81, §279.27]
2005 Acts, ch 3, §59; 2017 Acts, ch 2, §41, 48, 49
Referred to in §262.9, 279.13, 279.14, 279.19B, 284.8
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.28 - Insurance — supplies — textbooks.

279.28 Insurance — supplies — textbooks.
The board of directors may provide and pay out of the general fund to insure school property a sum as necessary, and may purchase dictionaries, library books, including books for the purpose of teaching vocal music, maps, charts, and apparatus for the use of the schools as deemed necessary by the board of directors for each school building under its charge; and may furnish schoolbooks to indigent children when they are likely to be deprived of the proper benefits of the school unless so aided.
[C73, §1729; C97, §2783; S13, §2783; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §4238; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, §279.25; C77, 79, 81, §279.28]
89 Acts, ch 83, §38
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.29 - Claims — investments.

279.29 Claims — investments.
1. The board shall audit and allow all just claims against the corporation, and no order shall be drawn upon the treasury until the claim therefor has been audited and allowed. In any district in which the board consists of five or more members, an audit made by one or more members of the board designated by the board or by a certified public accountant employed by the board, and certified to the board by such member or members of the board or by such accountant, shall satisfy the requirements of this section with respect to the audit of a claim.
2. Pending audit and allowance of claims under this section, the board shall invest moneys of the corporation to the extent practicable, and the board may provide for the joint investment of moneys with one or more school corporations pursuant to a joint investment agreement. All investments of funds shall be subject to sections 12B.10 and 12B.10A and other applicable law.
[C51, §1146, 1149; R60, §2037, 2038; C73, §1732, 1733, 1738, 1813; C97, §2780; S13, §2780; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §4239; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, §279.26; C77, 79, 81, §279.29]
86 Acts, ch 1226, §4; 92 Acts, ch 1156, §11
Referred to in §256E.7, 256F.4, 261E.9
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.30 - Payments — exceptions.

279.30 Payments — exceptions.
Each payment must be made payable to the person entitled to receive the money or deposited directly into an account at a financial institution, as defined in section 527.2, specified by the person entitled to receive the money. The board of directors of a school district or an area education agency may by resolution authorize the secretary, upon approval of the superintendent or designee, or administrator, in the case of an area education agency, to issue payments when the board of directors is not in session in payment of reasonable and necessary expenses, but only upon verified bills filed with the secretary or administrator, and for the payment of salaries pursuant to the terms of a written contract. Each payment must be made payable only to the person performing the service or presenting the verified bill, and must state the purpose for which the payment is issued. All bills and salaries for which payments are issued prior to audit and allowance by the board must be passed upon by the board of directors at the next meeting and be entered in the regular minutes of the secretary.
[C35, §4239-g1; C39, §4239.1; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, §279.27; C77, 79, 81, §279.30]
92 Acts, ch 1187, §4; 2006 Acts, ch 1152, §34; 2013 Acts, ch 88, §16
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.31 - Settlement with treasurer.

279.31 Settlement with treasurer.
The board shall from time to time examine the accounts of the treasurer and make settlements with the treasurer.
[C51, §1146, 1149; R60, §2037, 2038; C73, §1732, 1733, 1738, 1813; C97, §2780; S13, §2780; C24, §4239; C27, 31, 35, §4239-a1; C39, §4239.2; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, §279.28; C77, 79, 81, §279.31]
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.32 - Compensation of officers.

279.32 Compensation of officers.
1. The board shall fix the compensation to be paid the secretary. No member of the board shall receive compensation for official services. The board may pay a school treasurer a reasonable compensation.
2. Actual and necessary expenses, including travel, incurred by the board or individual members thereof in the performance of official duties may be paid or reimbursed.
[C51, §1146, 1149; R60, §2037, 2038; C73, §1732, 1733, 1738, 1813; C97, §2780; S13, §2780; C24, §4239; C27, 31, 35, §4239-a3; C39, §4239.3; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, §279.29; C77, 79, 81, §279.32]
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.33 - Annual settlements.

279.33 Annual settlements.
At a regular or special meeting held on or after August 31 of each year, and prior to the organizational meeting held after the regular school election, the board of each school corporation shall meet, examine the books of and settle with the secretary and treasurer for the year ending on the preceding June 30, and transact other business as necessary. The treasurer at the time of settlement shall furnish the board with a statement from each depository showing the balance then on deposit in the depository. If the secretary or treasurer fails to make proper reports for the settlement, the board shall take action to obtain the balance information.
[SS15, §2757; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §4240; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, §279.30; C77, 79, 81, §279.33]
83 Acts, ch 185, §4, 62; 2001 Acts, ch 47, §2; 2006 Acts, ch 1152, §35; 2010 Acts, ch 1033, §41; 2021 Acts, ch 25, §4
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.34 - Motor vehicles required to operate on ethanol blended gasoline.

279.34 Motor vehicles required to operate on ethanol blended gasoline.
A motor vehicle purchased by or used under the direction of the board of directors to provide services to a school corporation shall not operate on gasoline other than ethanol blended gasoline as defined in section 214A.1. The motor vehicle shall also be affixed with a brightly visible sticker which notifies the traveling public that the motor vehicle is being operated on ethanol blended gasoline. However, the sticker is not required to be affixed to an unmarked vehicle used for purposes of providing law enforcement or security.
91 Acts, ch 254, §16; 93 Acts, ch 26, §5; 2006 Acts, ch 1142, §65; 2007 Acts, ch 126, §50
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.35 - Publication of proceedings.

279.35 Publication of proceedings.
The proceedings of each regular, adjourned, or special meeting of the board, including the schedule of bills allowed, shall be published after the adjournment of the meeting in the manner provided in this section and section 279.36, and the publication of the schedule of the bills allowed shall include a list of claims allowed, including salary claims for services performed. The schedule of bills allowed may be published on a once monthly basis in lieu of publication with the proceedings of each meeting of the board. The list of claims allowed shall include the name of the person or firm making the claim, the purpose of the claim, and the amount of the claim. If the purpose for the claims is the same, two or more claims made by the same vendor, supplier, or claimant may be consolidated if the number of claims consolidated and the total consolidated claim amount are listed in the statement. However, the board shall provide at its office upon request an unconsolidated list of all claims allowed. Salaries paid to individuals regularly employed by the district shall only be published annually and the publication shall include the total amount of the annual salary of each employee. The secretary shall furnish a copy of the proceedings to be published within two weeks following the adjournment of the meeting.
[C27, 31, 35, §4242-b1; C39, §4242.1; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, §279.33; C77, 79, 81, §279.35]
83 Acts, ch 185, §6, 62; 87 Acts, ch 224, §49; 2006 Acts, ch 1018, §2
Referred to in §260C.14, 279.36
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.36 - Publication procedures and fee.

279.36 Publication procedures and fee.
1. The requirements of section 279.35 are satisfied by publication in at least one newspaper published in the district or, if there is none, in at least one newspaper having general circulation within the district.
2. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1989, and each fiscal year thereafter, the fee for the publications shall be the legal publication fee provided by section 618.11.
[C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, §279.34; C77, 79, 81, §279.36]
87 Acts, ch 224, §50; 2018 Acts, ch 1026, §97; 2019 Acts, ch 59, §82
Referred to in §260C.14, 279.6, 279.35
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.37 - Employment of counsel.

279.37 Employment of counsel.
A school corporation may employ an attorney to represent the school corporation as necessary for the proper conduct of the legal affairs of the school corporation.
[R60, §2040; C73, §1740; C97, §2759; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §4245; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, §279.35; C77, 79, 81, §279.37]
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.38 - Membership in association of school boards — audit.

279.38 Membership in association of school boards — audit.
1. Boards of directors of school corporations may pay, out of funds available to them, reasonable annual dues to the Iowa association of school boards. Each board that pays membership dues to the Iowa association of school boards shall annually report to the local community the amount the board pays in annual dues to the Iowa association of school boards, the amount of any fees paid and revenue or dividend payments received for services the board receives from the association or from any of the association’s affiliated for-profit entities, and the products or services the school district received inclusive with membership in the association.
2. The financial condition and transactions of the Iowa association of school boards shall be audited as provided in section 11.6. In addition, annually the Iowa association of school boards shall publish and submit to the department of education a listing of the school districts and the annual dues paid by each, the total revenue the association receives from each school district resulting from the payment of membership fees and the sale of products and services to the school district by the association or its affiliated for-profit entities, and shall publish an accounting of all moneys expended for expenses incurred by and salaries paid to legislative representatives and lobbyists of the association. In addition, the association shall submit to the general assembly copies of all reports the association provides to the United States department of education relating to federal grants and grant amounts that the association or its affiliated for-profit entities administer or distribute to school districts. The Iowa association of school boards is subject to chapters 21 and 22 relating to open meetings and public records.
3. Membership in such an Iowa association of school boards shall be limited to those duly elected members of the boards of directors of local school corporations.
[C71, 73, 75, §279.37; C77, 79, 81, §279.38]
83 Acts, ch 185, §7, 62; 89 Acts, ch 264, §7; 2010 Acts, ch 1183, §30; 2011 Acts, ch 75, §38; 2021 Acts, ch 25, §5
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.38A - Membership in other organizations— reporting requirements.

279.38A Membership in other organizations — reporting requirements.
1. Duly elected members of boards of directors and designated administrators of school corporations may join, including the payment of dues, and participate in local, regional, and national organizations which directly relate to the functions of the board of directors.
2. Each board that pays membership dues to an organization in accordance with this section shall annually report to the local community and to the department of education the amount the board pays in annual dues to the organization, the amount of any fees paid and revenue or dividend payments received for services the board receives from the organization, and the products or services the school district received inclusive with membership in the organization. If the organization administers federal education grants on behalf of school districts or distributes federal education grant funds to school districts, the organization shall submit to the general assembly copies of all reports the organization provides to the United States department of education, on the date on which each such report is provided to the United States department of education, relating to federal grants and grant amounts that the organization administers for or distributes to school districts. The governing board of the organization is subject to chapters 21 and 22 relating to open meetings and public records.
93 Acts, ch 117, §3; 2010 Acts, ch 1183, §31
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.39 - School buildings.

279.39 School buildings.
The board of any school corporation shall establish attendance centers and provide suitable buildings for each school in the district and may at the regular or a special meeting resolve to submit to the registered voters of the district at an election held on a date specified in section 39.2, subsection 4, paragraph “c”, the question of voting a tax or authorizing the board to issue bonds, or both.
93 Acts, ch 160, §15; 95 Acts, ch 67, §53; 2008 Acts, ch 1115, §47, 71
Extended time contracts for facilities, see §278.1
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.40 - Sick leave.

279.40 Sick leave.
1. a. Public school employees are granted leave of absence for medically related disability with full pay in the following minimum amounts:
(1) The first year of employment10 days.
(2) The second year of employment11 days.
(3) The third year of employment12 days.
(4) The fourth year of employment13 days.
(5) The fifth year of employment14 days.
(6) The sixth and subsequent years of employment15 days.
b. The above amounts shall apply only to consecutive years of employment in the same school district and unused portions shall be cumulative to at least a total of ninety days. The school board shall, in each instance, require such reasonable evidence as it may desire confirming the necessity for such leave of absence.
2. Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the right of a school board to grant more time than the days herein specified.
3. Cumulation of sick leave under this section shall not be affected or terminated due to the organization or dissolution of a community school district or districts which include all or the portion of the district which employed the particular public school employee for the school year previous to the organization or dissolution, if the employee is employed by one of the community school districts for the first school year following its organization or dissolution.
4. Any amounts due an employee under this section shall be reduced by benefits payable under sections 85.33 and 85.34, subsection 1.
[C50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §279.40]
2010 Acts, ch 1061, §99
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.41 - Schoolhouses and sites sold — funds.

279.41 Schoolhouses and sites sold — funds.
1. Moneys received from the condemnation, sale, or other disposition for public purposes of schoolhouses, school sites, or both schoolhouses and school sites, shall be deposited in the physical plant and equipment levy fund and may without a vote of the electorate be used for purposes authorized under section 298.3, as ordered by the board of directors of the school corporation.
2. Notwithstanding subsection 1, the board of directors of a school corporation may take action to deposit moneys received as provided in subsection 1 in any account maintained by the school corporation after holding a public hearing on the proposed action of the board. The board shall publish notice of the time and place of the public hearing in the same manner as required in section 24.9.
[C62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §279.41]
94 Acts, ch 1029, §18; 2006 Acts, ch 1152, §36; 2021 Acts, ch 25, §6
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.42 - Gifts to schools.

279.42 Gifts to schools.
The board of directors of a school district that receives funds through a gift, devise, or bequest shall deposit the funds in a trust fund, permanent fund, or custodial fund and shall use the funds in accordance with the terms of the gift, devise, or bequest.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §279.42]
94 Acts, ch 1029, §19; 2013 Acts, ch 88, §17; 2020 Acts, ch 1022, §4
See also §565.6
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.43 - Reporting inappropriate teaching assignments.

279.43 Reporting inappropriate teaching assignments.
An employee licensed by the board of educational examiners and holding a contract as described in section 279.13 shall disclose any occurrence of a teaching assignment for which that employee is not properly licensed to the school official responsible for determining teaching assignments. Failure of the employee to disclose this occurrence or failure of the school official responsible for determining teaching assignments to make appropriate adjustments to the employee’s teaching assignment once the employee discloses the occurrence shall constitute an incident of misconduct as provided in section 272.2, subsection 14, and is actionable by the board. If the school official fails to make appropriate adjustments to the teaching assignment once disclosure by the employee is made, the employee shall report this occurrence to the department or to the board for further action.
2007 Acts, ch 214, §35
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.45 - Administrative expenditures.

279.45 Administrative expenditures.
The administrative expenditures as a percent of a school district’s general fund for a base year shall not exceed five percent. Annually, the board of directors shall certify to the department of education the amounts of the school district’s administrative expenditures and its general fund. For the purposes of this section, “base year” means the same as defined in section 257.2, and “administrative expenditures” means expenditures for executive administration.
86 Acts, ch 1226, §5; 88 Acts, ch 1158, §56; 89 Acts, ch 135, §74; 2013 Acts, ch 88, §18
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.46 - Retirement incentives — tax.

279.46 Retirement incentives — tax.
The board of directors of a school district may adopt a program for payment of a monetary bonus, continuation of health or medical insurance coverage, or other incentives for encouraging its employees to retire before the normal retirement date as defined in chapter 97B. The program is available only to employees who notify the board of directors prior to April 1 of the fiscal year that they intend to retire not later than the start of the next following school calendar. The age at which employees shall be designated eligible for the program shall be at the discretion of the board. An employee retiring under this section may apply for a retirement allowance under chapter 97B or chapter 294. The board may include in the district management levy an amount to pay the total estimated accumulated cost to the school district of the health or medical insurance coverage, bonus, or other incentives for employees fifty-five years of age or older who retire under this section.
87 Acts, ch 224, §51; 89 Acts, ch 135, §75; 92 Acts, ch 1220, §1; 98 Acts, ch 1216, §27, 43; 2002 Acts, ch 1152, §6; 2003 Acts, ch 180, §33; 2014 Acts, ch 1052, §1 – 3
Referred to in §298.4
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.47 - Telecommunications — participation by school districts in database development.

279.47 Telecommunications — participation by school districts in database development.
The board of directors of each school district utilizing telecommunications as an instructional tool shall participate in procedures adopted by the state board of education under section 256.7, subsection 9.
87 Acts, ch 207, §2
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.48 - Equipment purchase.

279.48 Equipment purchase.
1. The board of directors of a school corporation may purchase equipment, and may negotiate and enter into a loan agreement and issue a note to pay for the equipment subject to the following terms and procedures:
a. The note must mature within five years, or the useful life of the equipment, whichever is less.
b. The note may bear interest at a rate to be determined by the board of directors in the manner provided in section 74A.3, subsection 1, paragraph “a”. Chapter 75 is not applicable.
c. The board of directors shall provide for the form of the agreement and note.
d. Principal and interest on the note must be payable from budgeted receipts in the debt service fund for each year of a period of up to five years.
2. The total of scheduled annual payments of principal or interest due and payable from current budgeted receipts or future budgeted receipts with respect to all loan agreements authorized under this section or section 285.10, subsection 7, paragraph “b”, must not exceed ten percent of the last authorized budget of the school corporation.
94 Acts, ch 1175, §7; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §198; 2021 Acts, ch 25, §7
Referred to in §273.3, 279.53
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.49 - Child care programs.

279.49 Child care programs.
1. The board of directors of a school corporation may operate or contract for the operation of a program to provide child care to children not enrolled in school or to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade six before and after school, or to both. Programs operated or contracted by a board shall be licensed by the department of human services under chapter 237A as a child care center unless the program is exempt from licensure under chapter 237A. Notwithstanding requirements of the department of human services regarding space allocated to child care centers licensed under chapter 237A, a program operated or contracted by a board which is located on school grounds may define alternative spaces, in policy and procedures, appropriate to meet the needs of children in the program if the primary space is required for another use.
2. a. The person employed to be responsible for a program operated or contracted by a board shall collaborate with that board in the operation of that program.
b. An employee of a program operated or contracted by a board shall be subject to a background investigation at least once every five years after the employee’s initial date of hire.
3. The facilities housing a program operated under this section shall comply with standards adopted by the state fire marshal for school buildings under chapter 100. In addition, if a program involves children who are younger than school age, the facilities housing those children shall meet the fire safety standards which would apply to that age of child in a child care facility licensed by the department of human services.
4. The board may establish a fee for the cost of participation in a child care program authorized under this section. The fee shall be established pursuant to a sliding fee schedule based upon staffing costs and other expenses and a family’s ability to pay. If a fee is established, the parent or guardian of a child participating in a program shall be responsible for payment of any agreed upon fee. The board may require the parent or guardian to furnish transportation of the child.
5. The board may utilize or make application for program subsidies from any existing child care funding streams.
6. The components of programs established under this section for child care shall include, but are not limited to, parental involvement in program design and direction, activities designed to further children’s physical, mental, and emotional development, and a parental education component to educate parents about the physical, mental, and emotional development of children.
85 Acts, ch 173, §26; 89 Acts, ch 206, §10; 89 Acts, ch 265, §40; 92 Acts, ch 1212, §27; 94 Acts, ch 1175, §8; 99 Acts, ch 192, §33; 2015 Acts, ch 88, §2, 3, 5
Referred to in §256.9, 256A.3, 280.3A, 298A.12
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.50A - Educational standards — agreements for mathematics and science units.

279.50A Educational standards — agreements for mathematics and science units.
1. If a school district’s total enrollment exceeds six hundred pupils, the school district may enter into an agreement with a community college under which the community college may offer, or provide a community college-employed instructor to teach, one of the units in accordance with section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph “a”, or one of the units in accordance with section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph “d” or “e”, and if the unit of coursework under the agreement meets the requirements specified in section 257.11, subsection 3, paragraph “b”, subparagraphs (2) through (7), the unit offered shall be deemed to meet the education program requirement for a unit of mathematics or science, as applicable, under section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph “a”, “d”, or “e”. The provisions of this subsection are applicable only if all of the following conditions are met:
a. The school district has made every reasonable and good faith effort to employ a teacher licensed under chapter 272 for the unit of science or mathematics, as applicable, and is unable to employ such a teacher. For purposes of this subsection, “good faith effort” means the same as defined in section 279.19A, subsection 9.
b. Enrollment for the unit exceeds five pupils.
c. The unit is offered during the regular school day.
d. The unit is made accessible by the school district to all eligible pupils.
2. Pupils enrolled in a unit of coursework offered pursuant to subsection 1 are not eligible for supplementary weighting under section 257.11, subsection 3.
2019 Acts, ch 164, §4, 5; 2020 Acts, ch 1062, §94; 2020 Acts, ch 1063, §127
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.52 - Optional funding of asbestos projects.

279.52 Optional funding of asbestos projects.
1. The board of directors may pay the actual cost of an asbestos project from any funds in the general fund of the district, funds received from the physical plant and equipment levy, or moneys obtained through a federal asbestos loan program, to be repaid from any of the funds specified in this section over a three-year period.
2. For the purpose of this section, “cost of an asbestos project” includes the costs of inspection and reinspection, sampling, analysis, assessment, response actions, operations and maintenance, training, periodic surveillance, developing of management plans and recordkeeping requirements relating to the presence of asbestos in school buildings of the district and its removal or encapsulation.
89 Acts, ch 135, §77; 2000 Acts, ch 1072, §1; 2000 Acts, ch 1232, §64
Referred to in §279.53
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.53 - Loan proceeds.

279.53 Loan proceeds.
The proceeds of loans issued to school districts pursuant to section 279.48, 279.52, or 473.20 shall be deposited into either the general fund of a school district or the physical plant and equipment levy fund. The board of directors shall expend the amount of the principal and interest due each year to maturity from the same fund into which the loan proceeds were deposited.
2008 Acts, ch 1041, §1
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.58 - School dress code policies.

279.58 School dress code policies.
1. The general assembly finds and declares that the students and the administrative and instructional staffs of Iowa’s public schools have the right to be safe and secure at school. Gang-related apparel worn at school draws attention away from the school’s learning environment and directs it toward thoughts or expressions of violence, bigotry, hate, and abuse.
2. The board of directors of a school district may adopt, for the district or for an individual school within the district, a dress code policy that prohibits students from wearing gang-related or other specific apparel if the board determines that the policy is necessary for the health, safety, or positive educational environment of students and staff in the school environment or for the appropriate discipline and operation of the school. Adoption and enforcement of a dress code policy is not a violation of section 280.22.
95 Acts, ch 191, §20
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.59 - Access by associations.

279.59 Access by associations.
The board of directors of a school district shall provide not-for-profit, professional education associations that offer membership to teachers or administrators equal access to teacher or administrator mailboxes for distribution of professional literature.
2001 Acts, ch 159, §11
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.60 - Assessments — access to data — reports.

279.60 Assessments — access to data — reports.
1. Each school district shall administer the teaching strategies gold early childhood assessment to every resident prekindergarten or four-year-old child whose parent or guardian enrolls the child in the district, and shall administer a valid and reliable universal screening instrument, as prescribed by the department of education, to every kindergarten student enrolled in the district not later than the date specified in section 257.6, subsection 1. The assessment shall be aligned with state early learning standards and preschool programs shall be encouraged to administer the assessment at least at the beginning and end of the preschool program, with the assessment information entered into the statewide longitudinal data system. The department shall work to develop agreements with head start programs to incorporate similar information about four-year-old children served by head start into the statewide longitudinal data system.
2. The school district shall also collect information from each parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a kindergarten student enrolled in the district on whether the student attended preschool. Each school district shall report the preschool information collected to the department of education in the manner prescribed by the department not later than January 1 of that school year. The early childhood Iowa office in the department of management shall have access to the raw data. The department of education shall review the information submitted pursuant to this section and shall submit its findings and recommendations annually in a report to the governor, the general assembly, the early childhood Iowa state board, and the early childhood Iowa area boards.
3. Each school district shall administer the Iowa assessments, created by the state university of Iowa, to all students enrolled in grade ten.
2005 Acts, ch 148, §16; 2006 Acts, ch 1152, §37; 2010 Acts, ch 1031, §306; 2012 Acts, ch 1119, §33; 2013 Acts, ch 121, §105, 107; 2021 Acts, ch 25, §8; 2022 Acts, ch 1021, §55
Subsection 2 amended
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.62 - Nonprofit school organizations.

279.62 Nonprofit school organizations.
The board of directors of a school district may take action to adopt a resolution to establish, and authorize expenditures for the operational support of, an entity or organization for the sole benefit of the school district and its students that is exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The entity or organization shall reimburse the school district for expenditures made by the school district on behalf of the entity or organization. Prior to establishing such an entity or organization, the board of directors shall hold a public hearing on the proposal to establish such an entity or organization. Such an entity or organization shall maintain its records in accordance with chapter 22, except that the entity or organization shall provide for the anonymity of a donor at the written request of the donor. The board of directors of a school district shall annually report to the local community the administrative expenditures, revenues, and activities of the entity or organization established by the school district pursuant to this section.
2005 Acts, ch 179, §92, 97; 2021 Acts, ch 19, §1
Referred to in §11.6
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.63 - Financial report.

279.63 Financial report.
1. The board of directors of each public school district shall develop, maintain, and distribute a financial report on an annual basis. The objective of the financial report shall be to facilitate public access to a variety of information and statistics relating to the education funding received by the school district, enrollment and employment figures, and additional information.
2. The financial report shall contain, at a minimum, information relating to the following:
a. All property tax levies, income surtaxes, and local option sales taxes in place in the school district, listed by type of levy, rate, amount, duration, and notification of the maximum rate and amount limitations permitted by statute.
b. The amount of funding received on a per pupil basis through the operation of the school finance formula, and from any other state appropriation or state funding source.
c. Federal funding received per student or teacher population targeted to receive the funds, and any other federal grants or funding received by the district.
d. Teacher and administrator minimum, maximum, and average salary paid by the district, and the percentage and dollar increase under teacher and administrator salary and benefits settlement agreements.
e. Teacher and administrator health insurance and other alternative health benefit information, including the monthly premium, the percentage of the premium paid by the district, and the percentage of the premium paid by a teacher or administrator for single and family insurance.
f. Teacher and administrator employment statistics, including the annual number of licensed full-time and part-time teachers and administrators employed by the school district during the preceding five years, and including the number of teachers and administrators no longer employed by the district, and new hires.
g. Student enrollment levels during the preceding five years, including regular enrollment, special education enrollment, and enrollment adjustments made pursuant to supplementary weighting.
h. Such additional information as the school district may determine.
3. Copies of a school district’s financial report for the previous school year shall be posted on an internet site maintained by the school district by January 1 of each school year. If the school district does not maintain or develop an internet site, the school district shall either distribute or post written copies of the financial report at specified locations throughout the school district.
2006 Acts, ch 1152, §14; 2009 Acts, ch 54, §9; 2013 Acts, ch 90, §257
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.64 - Tax-sharing agreements.

279.64 Tax-sharing agreements.
A school district may enter into an agreement under chapter 28E with a contiguous school district for the purpose of sharing all or a percentage of school district taxes collected from that portion of valuation described in section 403.19, subsection 2, that is released by the municipality to the school district.
2006 Acts, ch 1156, §1
Referred to in §403.19
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.66 - Discipline and personal conduct standards.

279.66 Discipline and personal conduct standards.
1. The board of directors of a school district shall review and modify existing policies related to student discipline and student conduct that are designed to promote responsible behavior on school property and at school functions in order that the policy shall govern the conduct of students, teachers and other school personnel, and visitors; provide opportunities for students to exercise self-discipline and practice cooperative classroom behavior; and encourage students and practitioners to model fairness, equity, and respect. The policy shall specify the responsibilities of students, parents and guardians, and practitioners in creating an atmosphere where all individuals feel a sense of respect, safety, and belonging, and shall set forth the consequences for unacceptable behavior. The policy shall be published in the student handbook.
2. The board of directors of a school district shall include or reference in the student handbook guidance published pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 63, by the department of education for parents, guardians, and community members who have concerns about school districts or their governing boards.
2007 Acts, ch 214, §38; 2021 Acts, ch 170, §32
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.69 - School employees — background investigations.

279.69 School employees — background investigations.
1. Prior to hiring an applicant for a school employee position, a school district shall have access to and shall review the information in the Iowa court information system available to the general public, the sex offender registry information under section 692A.121 available to the general public, the central registry for child abuse information established under section 235A.14, and the central registry for dependent adult abuse information established under section 235B.5 for information regarding the applicant. A school district shall follow the same procedure by June 30, 2014, for each school employee employed by the school district as of July 1, 2013. A school district shall implement a consistent policy to follow the same procedure for each school employee employed by the school district on or after July 1, 2013, at least every five years after the school employee’s initial date of hire. A school district shall not charge an employee for the cost of the registry checks conducted pursuant to this subsection. A school district shall maintain documentation demonstrating compliance with this subsection.
2. Being listed in the sex offender registry established under chapter 692A, the central registry for child abuse information established under section 235A.14, or the central registry for dependent adult abuse information established under section 235B.5 shall constitute grounds for the immediate suspension from duties of a school employee, pending a termination hearing by the board of directors of a school district. A termination hearing conducted pursuant to this subsection shall be limited to the question of whether the school employee was incorrectly listed in the registry.
3. For purposes of this section, “school employee” means an individual employed by a school district, including a part-time, substitute, or contract employee. “School employee” does not include an individual subject to a background investigation pursuant to section 272.2, subsection 17, section 279.13, subsection 1, paragraph “b”, or section 321.375, subsection 2.
2013 Acts, ch 140, §137
Referred to in §273.3
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.70 - Training on suicide prevention, adverse childhood experiences identification, and toxic stress response mitigation strategies.

279.70 Training on suicide prevention, adverse childhood experiences identification, and toxic stress response mitigation strategies.
1. For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
a. “Adverse childhood experience” means a potentially traumatic event occurring in childhood that can have negative, lasting effects on an individual’s health and well-being.
b. “Postvention” means the provision of crisis intervention, support, and assistance for those affected by a suicide or suicide attempt to prevent further risk of suicide.
2. By July 1, 2019, the board of directors of a school district shall require annual, evidence-based training at least one hour in length on suicide prevention and postvention for all school personnel who hold a license, certificate, authorization, or statement of recognition issued by the board of educational examiners and who have regular contact with students in kindergarten through grade twelve. The content of the training shall be based on nationally recognized best practices.
3. By July 1, 2019, the board of directors of a school district shall require annual, evidence-based, evidence-supported training on the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response for all school personnel who hold a license, certificate, authorization, or statement of recognition issued by the board of educational examiners and who have regular contact with students in kindergarten through grade twelve. The content of the training shall be based on nationally recognized best practices.
2018 Acts, ch 1051, §2
Referred to in §256.7
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.72 - Training on dyslexia.

279.72 Training on dyslexia.
By July 1, 2024, the board of directors of a school district shall require all persons employed by the school district who hold a teaching license with an endorsement for prekindergarten, prekindergarten or elementary special education, or prekindergarten through grade three levels issued under chapter 272, all practitioners and paraprofessionals assigned as Title I teachers and Title I paraprofessionals under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, Pub. L. No. 114-95, and all practitioners endorsed to teach English as a second language to complete the Iowa reading research center dyslexia overview module. Such persons employed by the school district after July 1, 2024, shall complete the module within one year of the employee’s initial date of hire.
2020 Acts, ch 1048, §8
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.73 - Intellectual freedom — protection — complaints.

279.73 Intellectual freedom — protection — complaints.
1. The board of directors of each school district shall protect the intellectual freedom of the school district’s students and practitioners and shall establish and publicize policies that protect students and faculty from discrimination based on speech. A person shall not retaliate against a person who files a complaint for a violation of this section. If the person who files a complaint for a violation of this section is an employee of the school district, the provisions of section 70A.29 shall apply.
2. If the board of directors of the school district or a court finds that an employee of the school district who holds a license, certificate, statement of recognition, or authorization issued by the board of educational examiners under chapter 272 discriminated against a student or employee in violation of this section, the employee found to be in violation under this section shall be subject to a hearing conducted by the board of educational examiners pursuant to section 272.2, subsection 14, which may result in disciplinary action and the employee’s employment may be terminated.
2021 Acts, ch 130, §5
Referred to in §256.11, 272.2
2023 Iowa Code › Title VII - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 279 - DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES › Section 279.75 - Training for equity coordinators.

279.75 Training for equity coordinators.
The board of directors of a school district shall provide training on free speech under the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States developed and distributed pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 64, annually to any equity coordinator employed by the school district.
2021 Acts, ch 170, §33
Referred to in §256.9