Appropriations Committee Report – Week 14, 2018

HF 633—Lifting cap, extending sunset on school operational sharing incentives;
HF 2480—Manufactured Housing Program Fund. 

 

COMMITTEE ACTION:

HF 633 relates to school shared operation functions. The operational sharing provision in the school aid formula was enacted in 2008. School districts may accrue up to 21 additional weights through this program for a total of five years. It currently includes these positions/weighting:

  • Superintendent management functions, at a weighting factor of 8 pupils per position.
  • Business management, human resources, transportation, and operation and maintenance functions, at a weighting factor of 5 pupils per function.
  • Curriculum director and guidance counselor functions, at a weighting factor of 3 pupils per function.

Under this program, both school districts receive the additional weighting for sharing a position. AEAs are also eligible to participate. Typically, AEAs share administrator positions (either an AEA chief that doubles as a superintendent in one of the districts, or a school business official that works for both the AEA and a school district).

The bill, as passed by the House, removes the sunset date on the program. It also strikes the five-year maximum that schools can use the program. Schools may continue receive financial incentives from the state to share administrative positions indefinitely.

Right now, 230 districts get state incentive money to share administrators. More than half of those districts (119) are at the five-year limit in FY19. Without this bill, they could continue sharing the positions but receive incentives after FY19.

A committee amendment inserted a new sunset date of 2024, authorizing the program for another five years. It does not eliminate the sunset completely, as passed by the House.
[4/5: short form (Absent: Chelgren, Zumbach)]

 

COMMITTEE AND FLOOR ACTION:

HF 2480 (formerly SF 2404 and SSB 3208) creates a Manufactured Housing Program Fund within the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA). The fund will be used for mobile and manufactured homes on leased land (mobile home parks). Mobile homes on leased land also will qualify for the existing Home Ownership Assistance Program for Military Members. The Fund will be used to provide funding to financial institutions to finance the purchase of manufactured homes by individuals. The bill authorizes IFA to transfer unobligated money from the Senior Living Revolving Loan Program Fund, Home and Community-Based Services Revolving Loan Program Fund, Transitional Housing Revolving Loan Program Fund, and Community Housing and Services for Persons with Disabilities Revolving Loan Program Fund from the prior fiscal year to this new fund. However, the maximum amount that may be transferred for any fiscal year must not exceed $1 million.

[Committee 4/5: 16-3 (No: Bolkcom, Boulton, Mathis; Absent: Chelgren, Zumbach); Floor 4/11: 41-7 (No: Bolkcom, Boulton, Chelgren, Hogg, Jochum, Mathis, Petersen; Excused: Zumbach; Vacant: Dix)]