Section 281.98.18. At-risk program, alternative program or alternative school, and potential or returning dropout prevention program formula supplementary weighting.

Formula supplementary weighting provides funding in addition to the student count that generates general purpose revenues for the purpose of providing additional instruction and services to students identified as at-risk, potential or returning dropouts, and secondary students attending an alternative program or alternative school pursuant to Iowa Code section 257.11(4)“a” as amended by 2015 Iowa Acts, House File 658, section 37.

         98.18(1) Appropriate uses of categorical funding. Appropriate uses of at-risk formula supplementary weighting funding include costs to develop or maintain programs for at-risk pupils, alternative programs and alternative schools for secondary students, and returning dropout and dropout prevention programs. Appropriate uses include, but are not limited to:

            a.               Salary and benefits for the teacher(s) and guidance counselor(s) of identified students participating in the approved programs when the teacher (or counselor) is dedicated to providing services directly and exclusively to the identified students beyond the services provided by the school district to students who are not identified as at risk or as potential or returning dropouts. If the teacher (or counselor) is part-time serving the program and part-time regular classroom teacher (or counselor), then the portion of time that is related to these programs may be charged to the program funding, but the portion of time that is related to the regular classroom shall not.

            b.               Professional development for all teachers and staff working with identified students under an approved program or in an alternative school setting.

            c.               Research-based resources, materials, software, supplies, equipment, and purchased services that meet all of the following criteria:

             (1)             Meet the needs of K through 12 identified students,

             (2)             Are beyond those provided by the regular school program,

             (3)             Are necessary to provide the services listed in the school district’s approved at-risk or returning dropout and dropout prevention program plan, and

             (4)             Will remain with the K through 12 at-risk program, alternative program or alternative school, or returning dropout and dropout prevention program.

            d.               Instructional costs necessary to address the behavior of a child during instructional time when those services are not otherwise provided to students who do not require special education and when the costs exceed the costs of instruction of pupils in a regular curriculum, the costs exceed the maximum tuition rate prescribed in Iowa Code section 282.24, the child has not been placed in a facility operated by the state, and all of the following apply:

             (1)             The child does not require special education.

             (2)             The child is not placed by the department of human services or a court in a residential or day treatment program where the treatment necessary to address the student’s behavior was included in the contract with the placement agency.

             (3)             The child is not placed in a hospital unit, health care facility, psychiatric medical institution for children or other treatment facility where the cost of treatment necessary to address the student’s behavior is covered by insurance or Medicaid.

             (4)             The board of directors of the district of residence has determined that the child is likely to inflict self-harm or likely to harm another student.

            e.               Up to 5 percent of the total amount that a school district receives as formula supplementary weighting pursuant to Iowa Code section 257.11(4)“a” as amended by 2015 Iowa Acts, House File 658, or as a modified supplemental amount received under Iowa Code section 257.41 as amended by 2015 Iowa Acts, House File 658, may be used in the budget year for purposes of providing districtwide or buildingwide at-risk and dropout prevention programming targeted to nonidentified students.

         98.18(2) Inappropriate uses of categorical funding. Inappropriate uses of the formula supplementary weighting program funding include, but are not limited to, indirect costs or use charges, operational or maintenance costs, capital expenditures other than equipment, student transportation other than as allowed in subrule 98.18(1), administrative costs other than as allowed in subrule 98.18(1), or any other expenditures not directly related to providing the approved program beyond the scope of the regular classroom program.

[ARC 8054B, IAB 8/26/09, effective 9/30/09; ARC 9267B, IAB 12/15/10, effective 1/19/11; ARC 1967C, IAB 4/15/15, effective 5/20/15; ARC 2310C, IAB 12/9/15, effective 1/13/16]