This bill amends existing education laws in Iowa, specifically focusing on the reporting requirements for community colleges and the management of employees within the Iowa educational services for the blind and visually impaired program and the Iowa school for the deaf. It requires community colleges to submit individual-level data directly to the Department of Education (DE) rather than the community colleges bureau. The bill also modifies the deadlines for data submission and mandates that the annual condition of community colleges report include detailed educational and employment outcomes, as well as data on the proportion of females and minorities in STEM programs.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that Code section 279.27, which pertains to the discharge of teachers, applies to all employees of the Iowa educational services for the blind and visually impaired program and the Iowa school for the deaf, regardless of their licensing status. It further stipulates that the Department of Administrative Services, in consultation with DE, will establish an annual compensation schedule and set employee benefits for these employees, ensuring that they are adequately compensated for their roles in the care, instruction, or supervision of children.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 256.7, 260C.14