Education

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2025

SF 332: A bill for an act relating to the transportation to and from school of pupils participating in open enrollment.

This bill modifies Iowa school transportation rules for students using open enrollment. It removes mileage restrictions for districts of all sizes: for districts under 2,000 students, it eliminates the requirement that a student's home must be closer to the receiving school than their assigned school in the sending district. For districts with 2,000+ students, it removes the previous two-mile limit on transportation routes, allowing vehicles to travel farther without distance restrictions. The change directly affects students in open enrollment programs and their receiving school districts, streamlining transportation logistics regardless of residence location relative to school assignments.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves transportation barriers for open enrollment, expanding student access to schools outside assigned districts and strengthening educational access for K-12 students.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice School Transportation

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 4, 2026

HF 332: A bill for an act relating to administrators employed by school districts, including requiring administrators to provide instruction to students and modifying the responsibilities of the board of educational examiners.

HF 332 requires school administrators in Iowa to teach regularly, with specific mandates based on their role and school size. For example, high school principals must teach at least three semester-long classes every three years, while elementary principals must cover two subjects in a classroom for one semester every three years. School districts must ensure compliance and report annually to the state education department, with non-compliance potentially leading to license suspension by the Board of Educational Examiners. The bill applies to administrators like superintendents, principals, and assistant principals across all public school districts in Iowa.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires principals to teach regularly, connecting leadership to classroom instruction to strengthen school leadership's educational role.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 20, 2025

HF 236: A bill for an act relating to social studies instruction, including instruction in United States government, provided to students enrolled in grades nine through twelve.

HF 236 requires all Iowa high school students (grades 9-12) in public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to complete one full unit of U.S. government instruction as part of their social studies curriculum, increasing the current requirement from half a unit. The course must cover voting procedures, voter registration, paper ballots, absentee voting, the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, and civics education including citizen roles in government. This bill directly affects high school students and school districts by mandating specific content within the required social studies curriculum. The change aligns with existing standards but strengthens the depth of civic education for students.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates increased U.S. government curriculum requirements, strengthening civics education in Iowa high schools by raising unit requirement from half to full unit.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 20, 2025

HF 252: A bill for an act incorporating preparation in computer science, artificial intelligence, and computational thinking into the preparation required in approved practitioner preparation programs, and including applicability provisions.

HF 252 requires Iowa's approved teacher preparation programs to incorporate computer science, artificial intelligence, and computational thinking training tailored to the grade level and subject a future teacher will instruct. This requirement takes effect for students admitted on or after July 1, 2026, and allows colleges to meet it through a dedicated course, module, or by integrating the content into existing programs. The state board of regents must provide guidance to all higher education institutions on implementing these changes. The bill directly affects future teachers in Iowa by updating their training requirements to include foundational digital literacy skills.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates computer science/AI training for teacher prep programs, strengthening educator readiness in tech-focused curricula.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 20, 2025

HF 504: A bill for an act relating to robotics, including by establishing a robotics grant program within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics collaborative initiative and requiring the university of northern Iowa to develop a public-private partnership to support robotics competitions, and making appropriations.

HF 504 establishes a robotics grant program within Iowa's STEM collaborative initiative to provide funding for school robotics programs. It appropriates $400,000 to offset costs like team stipends, competition fees, kits, and travel for public school districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools. The bill also allocates $100,000 to the University of Northern Iowa to develop a public-private partnership supporting the Iowa regional FIRST robotics competition. These provisions directly support K-12 robotics education and competition participation through targeted financial assistance.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $400,000 for school robotics grants under STEM initiative, funding student programs, competitions, and teacher support within K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyAllocates $400k for school robotics programs and $100k for UNI partnership, directly funding technology education initiatives under STEM.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 20, 2025

HF 502: A bill for an act modifying provisions related to the activities administration authorization established by the board of educational examiners.

HF 502 modifies Iowa's requirements for school activities administrators by changing the degree eligibility rule. Currently, applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in athletics, physical education, or a related field; this bill would instead require only a bachelor's degree in *any* academic field. It directly affects individuals seeking authorization to oversee school sports and extracurricular programs under the Board of Educational Examiners. The bill amends Section 256.146 of Iowa Code to establish this new requirement through administrative rules.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves specific degree requirement for school activities administrators, broadening eligibility and potentially increasing access to qualified personnel in school programs.75% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 20, 2025

HF 253: A bill for an act relating to computer science instruction, including by modifying provisions related to the graduation requirements, the computer science instruction provided by students enrolled in grades nine through twelve, computer science instruction endorsements and authorizations issued by the board of educational examiners, and the computer science professional development incentive fund.

HF 253 requires Iowa high school students graduating in 2029 or later to complete one semester of computer science coursework to meet graduation requirements, which may include classes taken in eighth grade. The bill modifies existing science and math graduation rules to allow up to one unit of computer science to count toward those requirements. School districts must report annually on computer science course offerings, teacher certifications, and student enrollment, while allowing limited waivers for implementation challenges. The law also establishes standards for computer science courses and teacher authorizations to ensure quality instruction.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates computer science coursework for graduation, expanding curriculum requirements and aligning with STEM education goals while requiring district reporting on implementation.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Teachers

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 20, 2025

SF 318: A bill for an act prohibiting discrimination based on an individual’s texture or style of hair.

SF 318 prohibits discrimination based on an individual’s hair texture, style, or natural/protective hairstyles (including braids, locs, twists, afros, and cornrows) in schools, workplaces, housing, and public accommodations. It amends Iowa’s civil rights laws to explicitly include hairstyle as a protected characteristic under existing race discrimination protections. The bill defines "natural or protective hairstyles" and requires school districts to remove dress code policies banning such styles. It applies statewide to all programs receiving state funding and aligns with federal protections under 42 U.S.C. §1981(c).

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProhibits school dress code bans on natural hair styles, protecting student rights and enhancing educational access in K-12 settings per bill's school district requirements.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingExplicitly prohibits housing discrimination based on hair texture/style, including housing in protected areas under civil rights law.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits workplace discrimination based on hair texture/style, protecting workers' rights under civil rights laws as explicitly stated in bill's workplace coverage.95% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 24, 2025

HF 336: A bill for an act providing for education on the holocaust for students and teachers in school districts.

HF 336 requires Iowa public school districts to incorporate age-appropriate Holocaust education into middle and high school curricula by the 2025-2026 school year. The bill mandates instruction covering the causes and consequences of the Holocaust, historical antisemitism, resistance efforts, and the U.S. role in defeating Nazi Germany, including contributions by diverse military groups. School districts must also provide teacher training on these topics through professional development programs using approved resources like the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The Iowa Department of Education will annually report on school district compliance. This law applies to all public school districts in Iowa and uses existing state funding without requiring new appropriations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates Holocaust curriculum and teacher training in K-12 schools, strengthening educational content and teacher preparedness per bill requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 24, 2025

SSB 1164: A bill for an act modifying provisions related to the curriculum provided to students enrolled in grades nine through twelve by allowing instruction related to technology, engineering, or manufacturing to meet a portion of the unit requirements related to computer science.

SSB 1164 modifies Iowa's high school curriculum requirements to allow students in grades 9-12 to fulfill part of their computer science graduation requirement through courses in technology, engineering, or manufacturing. This includes classes covering topics like transportation, logistics, architecture, and construction, which can be offered as standalone courses or integrated into existing career and technical education programs. The bill applies to all public schools, charter schools, and accredited nonpublic schools in Iowa. The state board of education must develop implementing rules for this change.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands curriculum flexibility by allowing tech/engineering courses to fulfill computer science requirements, enhancing educational relevance and student program options in K-12 education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Curriculum

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