This bill amends the duties of the Iowa Department of Education (DE) concerning electronic systems by requiring the approval, coordination, and supervision of electronic data and information processing across school districts, area education agencies, and merged areas. It mandates the development of a comprehensive statewide data collection system that all school districts and accredited nonpublic schools must use. The bill outlines specific requirements for this data collection system, including the need for standardized data reporting protocols, improved information exchanges, confidentiality of data, and compatibility with existing student information systems.

Additionally, the bill mandates the modernization of DE's electronic systems to ensure timely disbursement of funds and effective communication with other state agencies and educational institutions. A key component of this modernization is the establishment of a portal by July 1, 2027, which will facilitate data validation, cross-district enrollment checks, and provide communication tools among various educational entities. The portal will also include an automatically updating data dictionary and a calendar of key dates, all aimed at reducing the administrative burden on the department and educational institutions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 256.9