This bill amends Iowa's education laws to revise kindergarten enrollment age, student promotion criteria, and disciplinary responsibilities for school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools. It changes the compulsory attendance age from September 15 to July 1, allowing children who turn five by July 1 to be considered of compulsory attendance age. Additionally, the bill requires these educational institutions to adopt new disciplinary policies that address both violent and nonviolent disruptions, replacing the previous focus solely on threats or incidents of violence. Nonviolent disruptions are defined to include behaviors such as disorderly conduct and bullying, while violent disruptions involve threats or incidents resulting in injury or property damage.

The legislation also establishes a framework for disciplinary actions, including the creation of a placement review committee at each attendance center to assess when a student removed from the classroom may return. Teachers are permitted to remove students causing nonviolent disruptions for at least 30 minutes, with a requirement for students to make up missed work. If a student is removed multiple times in a school year, a meeting involving the teacher, guidance counselor, parent, and student must be held to address the behavior and develop a corrective plan. Furthermore, the bill stipulates that students must achieve proficient scores on standardized assessments to be promoted from kindergarten, ensuring that academic performance is a key factor in student advancement.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 256.9, 279.65A, 279.89, 299.1A