Section 281.98.68. Debt service fund.

A debt service fund is used to account for the accumulation of resources for, and the payment of, general long-term debt principal and interest. A school district or area education agency shall have only one debt service fund.

         98.68(1) Sources of revenue in the debt service fund. Sources of revenue in the debt service fund include the levy on taxable property authorized by the voters pursuant to Iowa Code section 298.21 and necessary to service bonds that mature in the current year, transfers from other funds for payments of interest and principal when due that are required under a loan, lease-purchase agreement, or other evidence of indebtedness authorized by the Iowa Code, and earnings from temporary investment of moneys in the debt service fund.

         98.68(2) Appropriate uses of the debt service fund. Appropriate expenditures in the debt service fund include the following:

            a.               Payment of principal and interest of the lawful bonded indebtedness maturing in the current year as it becomes due. In determining how much is necessary to service bonds that mature in the current year, the board of directors shall consider the amount of earnings from temporary investments of debt service funds and beginning cash balances.

            b.               Payment of costs of registration of public bonds or obligations.

            c.               Payment of additional amounts as the board deems necessary to apply on the principal.

            d.               Payment of principal and interest when due that are required under a loan agreement, lease-purchase agreement, or other evidence of indebtedness authorized by the Iowa Code other than bonded indebtedness paid from resources transferred for that purpose to the debt service fund from other funds.

            e.               Payment of transfers to the PPEL fund by board resolution when funds remain in the debt service fund after payment of the entire balance of outstanding debt in accordance with the original purpose of the bonded indebtedness and after return of any excess amount transferred into the debt service fund from another fund or other indebtedness. The voters in the district may authorize the district to transfer the remaining balance to the general fund instead of the PPEL fund pursuant to Iowa Code subsection 278.1(1)“e.”

         98.68(3) Inappropriate uses of the debt service fund. Inappropriate expenditures in the debt service fund include payment of debt issued by one fund from resources transferred from a different fund unless expressly authorized by the Iowa Code and any other expenditure not listed in subrule 98.68(2).

[ARC 8054B, IAB 8/26/09, effective 9/30/09]