280.3 - EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM -- ATTENDANCE CENTER REQUIREMENTS.
280.3 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM -- ATTENDANCE CENTER
REQUIREMENTS.
1. The board of directors of each public school district and the
authorities in charge of each nonpublic school shall prescribe the
minimum educational program and an attendance policy which shall
require each child to attend school for at least one hundred
forty-eight days, to be met by attendance for at least thirty-seven
days each school quarter, for the schools under their jurisdictions.
2. The minimum educational program shall be the curriculum set
forth in subsection 3 of this section and section 256.11, except as
otherwise provided by law. The board of directors of a public school
district shall not allow discrimination in any educational program on
the basis of race, color, creed, sex, marital status, or place of
national origin.
3. The board of directors of each public school district and the
authorities in charge of each nonpublic school shall do all of the
following:
a. Adopt an implementation plan by July 1, 2010, which
provides for the adoption of at least one core curriculum subject
area each year as established by the state board of education for
grades nine through twelve pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 26.
The core curriculum established for grades nine through twelve by the
state board of education pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 26,
shall be fully implemented by each school district and school by July
1, 2012.
b. Adopt an implementation plan, by July 1, 2012, which
provides for the full implementation of the core curriculum
established for kindergarten through grade eight by the state board
of education pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 26, by the
2014-2015 school year.
4. A nonpublic school which is unable to meet the minimum
educational program may request an exemption from the state board of
education. The authorities in charge of the nonpublic school shall
file with the director of the department of education the names and
locations of all schools desiring to be exempted and the names, ages,
and post office addresses of all pupils of compulsory school age who
are enrolled. The director, subject to the approval of the state
board, may exempt the nonpublic school from compliance with the
minimum educational program for two school years. When the exemption
has once been granted, renewal of the exemption for each succeeding
school year may be conditioned by the director, with the approval of
the board, upon proof of achievement in the basic skills of
arithmetic, the communicative arts of reading, writing, grammar, and
spelling, and an understanding of United States history, history of
Iowa, and the principles of American government, of the pupils of
compulsory school age exempted in the preceding year. Proof of
achievement shall be determined on the basis of tests or other means
of evaluation prescribed by the director of the department of
education with the approval of the state board of education. The
testing or evaluation, if required, shall be accomplished prior to
submission of the request for renewal of the exemption. Renewal
requests shall be filed with the director by April 15 of the school
year preceding the school year for which the applicants desire
exemption. This section shall not apply to schools eligible for
exemption under section 299.24.
5. The board of directors of each public school district and the
authorities in charge of each nonpublic school shall establish and
maintain attendance centers based upon the needs of the school age
pupils enrolled in the school district or nonpublic school. Public
school kindergarten programs shall and public and nonpublic school
prekindergarten programs may be provided. In addition, the board of
directors or governing authority may include in the educational
program of any school such additional courses, subjects, or
activities which it deems fit the needs of the pupils. Section History: Early Form
[C75, 77, 79, 81, § 280.3] Section History: Recent Form
85 Acts, ch 212, §21, 22; 89 Acts, ch 210, §7; 91 Acts, ch 200,
§2; 2008 Acts, ch 1127, §5