Charter School Choice
Does the state have charter schools?
Are for-profit charter schools or management companies allowed?
Is there a cap on the number of charter schools?
We did not find information about caps on charter schools in Iowa statutes. However, there is a cap on the number of innovation zone consortiums: "[t]he state board shall approve not more than ten innovation zone consortium applications."
An innovation zone consortium is defined as "...a consortium of two or more school districts and an area education agency in which one or more of the school districts are located, that receives approval to establish an innovation zone school pursuant to this chapter."
Education Commission of the States indicates that while Iowa has a cap on the number of innovation zone consortiums, there are no caps on charter schools.
256F.3 (8): Application
Education Commission of the States 50-State Comparison
Are charters required to provide transportation for any students?
Charters must comply with regulations for public schools and must outline means, costs, and plans for providing transportation to students.
Public school regulations: The board of directors in every school district shall provide transportation, either directly or by reimbursement for transportation, for all resident pupils attending public school, kindergarten through twelfth grade.
256F.4.2.i: General operating requirements.
256F.5 (16): Application- definition
285.1.a: When entitled to state aid.
Can charter schools employ uncertified teachers?
Charters must comply with state rules and teaching standards. "Teacher" means a licensed member of a school’s instructional staff.
256F.7 (1): Employment and related matters
272.1.(16): Definitions
Virtual School Choice
Do state statutes allow for full-time virtual schools?
Are virtual schools required to track attendance?
School district must monitor and verify full-time enrollment, timely completion of graduation requirements, course credit accrual, course completion, progress and performance. We did not find mention of whether virtual schools are required to track attendance.
281-15.7(2)a-b. School district responsibilities- monitoring and supervision
Do virtual schools have to comply with state teacher certification requirements?
Teachers must be appropriately licensed for educational level and content area and will receive training for effective practices which enhance learning by telecommunications.
Private School Choice
Does the state have voucher programs?
Does the state have educational expense tuition tax credits or deductions?
Tuition and textbook tax credit: "A tuition credit equal to twenty-five percent of the first one thousand dollars which the taxpayer has paid to others for each dependent in grades kindergarten through twelve, for tuition and textbooks of each dependent in attending an elementary or secondary school situated in Iowa..."
Can students use vouchers to attend religious schools?
However, households cannot receive the credit for expenses for tuition or textbooks used for the teaching of religious tenets, doctrines, or worship, the purpose of which is to inculcate those tenets, doctrines, or worship.
Is there a cap on the number of students or private schools participating in voucher programs?
However, there is a cap for the tuition and textbook tax credit: $250 per student that spends $1000.
Are voucher students in private schools required to take any standardized tests?
Can private schools be removed from voucher programs based on performance?
Are private schools in voucher programs required to provide transportation?
Interdistrict School Choice
Does the state have interdistrict choice programs?
"'Open enrollment' is the procedure allowing a parent/guardian to enroll one or more pupils in a public school district other than the district of residence at no tuition cost."
Are receiving schools or districts required to provide transportation to any students?
"Open enrollment pupils that meet the economic eligibility requirements established by the department of education shall receive transportation assistance from their resident district under the following conditions. The resident district is not required to provide any transportation assistance for a pupil involved in open enrollment with a district that is not contiguous with the pupil’s resident district. The resident district shall provide transportation for the pupil to a point that is a designated stop on a regular bus route of a contiguous receiving district, or as an alternative, the resident district shall pay the parent/guardian for providing this transportation. In either situation the resident district is not obligated to expend more than the average cost per pupil transported amount established for that district for the previous school year."
"A parent/guardian shall be eligible for transportation assistance from the resident district if the household income of the parent/guardian is at or below 160 percent of the federal income poverty guidelines as stated by household size."
281-17.9(2): 281-17.9(2): Qualifications and provisions for transportation assistance.
281-17.9(3) Economic eligibility requirements for transportation