Fiscal Note
Fiscal Services Division
HF 2586 – School Safety and Security (LSB6276HV.3)
Staff Contact: Jacob Ludwig (515.725.0155) jacob.ludwig@legis.iowa.gov
Fiscal Note Version – Final Action
Description
House File 2586 creates new provisions related to school security. The Bill requires school
districts with 8,000 or more students to employ a private school security officer (PSSO) or
school resource officer (SRO) at each attendance center where students in grades 9, 10, 11, or
12 regularly attend classes. The Bill also authorizes school employees to be issued
professional permits to carry firearms on school property. The Bill requires PSSOs and school
employees who are licensed to carry a firearm on school property under this Bill to participate in
annual live scenario training and quarterly live firearms training provided by the Department of
Public Safety (DPS). Sections 2 and 3 of the Bill take effect upon enactment.
Background
Currently, school districts are not required to employ a PSSO or SRO. School districts that
employ an SRO typically have agreements to split costs with local cities and/or counties. The
details of these agreements vary, but on average, districts pay 58.8% of the cost. Total costs
for an SRO, prior to being split with local authorities, generally range from $95,000 to $115,000,
including salary, benefits, and equipment.
Iowa Code section 724.4B allows school districts to authorize individuals to carry weapons on
school district grounds. However, no school currently authorizes employees to carry firearms
on campus. Current law does not require specific permits or training for a district to authorize
an individual to carry weapons.
In Ohio, where a similar program has been implemented, 61 school systems have armed staff.
The state of Ohio’s population is slightly less than three times as large as Iowa’s, and Ohio has
roughly double the number of school districts. The state of Ohio employs approximately 20
instructors to train individuals at the 61 school systems.
Assumptions
• There are 11 school districts with 8,000 or more students that will be required to employ at
least one PSSO or SRO at qualified attendance centers.
• The average cost to school districts for employing an SRO, after sharing costs with local
cities or counties, is estimated at $63,000.
• The number of school districts currently employing SROs is unknown.
• The DPS will need to hire 2.0 new full-time equivalent (FTE) positions for Firearm Instructors
to host the required live training sessions for PSSOs under this Bill. The projected cost of
these positions is $150,000.
• Assuming the number of school districts that may use this program will be similar to the
number in Ohio, the DPS estimates that approximately 35 school districts may choose to
authorize school employees to be issued professional permits.
• Based on the ratio of instructors to school districts in Ohio, the DPS will need to hire 6.0 new
FTE positions to host the required live training sessions for school employees who have
been authorized to receive professional permits under this Bill. This includes 5.0 FTE
positions for Firearms Instructors, who will provide the required training, and 1.0 FTE
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 position for Support Staff, who will provide administrative support for the program. The cost
for these positions is estimated to be approximately $450,000.
• The DPS will need to develop a new record management system to issue permits and track
training requirements. The cost of such a system will depend on how the professional
permit program is organized and operated.
Fiscal Impact
The increased costs to the DPS are estimated to be $600,000 and 8.0 new FTE positions to
support the training for PSSOs and school employees who have been authorized to receive
professional permits. The DPS will also need to develop and implement a new record
management system. The cost of this system will depend on how the professional permit
program is implemented and cannot be determined at this time.
The fiscal impact to school districts with 8,000 or more students at qualified attendance centers
is unknown due to a lack of information regarding which school districts currently employ SROs.
There are 11 school districts with 8,000 or more students, among which there are 40 qualified
attendance centers that will be required to employ at least one PSSO or SRO. The maximum
estimated cost to comply with this requirement is approximately $2.5 million across all 11
eligible districts. Districts in full compliance will not incur additional costs.
Figure 1 — Maximum School Security Compliance Cost for Districts with 8,000+ Students
Attendance
Districts With 8,000+ Students Centers Cost
Ankeny Comm School District 4 $ 252,000
Cedar Rapids Comm School District 5 315,000
Council Bluffs Comm School District 2 126,000
Davenport Comm School District 4 252,000
Des Moines Independent Comm School District 6 378,000
Dubuque Comm School District 2 126,000
Iowa City Comm School District 4 252,000
Sioux City Comm School District 3 189,000
Waterloo Comm School District 3 189,000
Waukee Comm School District 4 252,000
West Des Moines Comm School District 3 189,000
Maximum Compliance Cost $ 2,520,000
Sources
Iowa Association of School Boards
Department of Public Safety
Legislative Services Agency
/s/ Jennifer Acton
May 1, 2024
Doc ID 1449138
The fiscal note for this Bill was prepared pursuant to Joint Rule 17 and the Iowa Code. Data used in developing this
fiscal note is available from the Fiscal Services Division of the Legislative Services Agency upon request.
www.legis.iowa.gov
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 724.6, 724.9
Reprinted: 724.6, 724.9
Enrolled: 724.6, 724.9