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Contents
The Department has been working with our partners at the Department of Health and Human Services on a joint agency resource document. This document provides links to statewide resources to assist families and communities as they process the recent tragedy in Perry.
If you are a school or district with less than 40 teachers interested in registering for LETRS training during a time that fits your schools’ schedule, first fill out the Building / District registration form. In addition, consider signing up using the LETRS Training Option for Small Districts/Schools and finding others who might be interested in common training times. For example, if you are considering training on an early out day, find another school looking for that same request. If you are considering training during a professional development session, look for another school with the same days and times requested. This would allow your school and others the opportunity to receive the LETRS training during a time that fits your schedules. As a reminder, the training sessions are virtual, so the buildings partnering within the same cohort will not be in the same physical location. When using the Google spreadsheet, input all information. It is the responsibility of the school or district to reach out and make these arrangements between both parties. Once you have 40-43 participants, you may email ialetrs@iowa.gov for next steps in creating your personalized group training sessions.
Winter SRI is in full swing. All districts and nonpublic schools who report via SRI must submit data by January 26, 2024. If your district or nonpublic school houses grades 9-12, you will need to review the Accreditation Report which is found on the homepage in Winter SRI. A recorded tutorial about this report is available for those needing a refresher. All public districts housing grades 9-12 will also need to complete the Secondary Career and Technical Reporting Application (SCTERA) courses in a program prior to certifying SRI. Questions on the SCTERA application should be directed to a Career and Technical Education (CTE) consultant.
The following open enrollment documents have been updated and are now available on the Open Enrollment web page under General Open Enrollment Guidance:
2023-2024 Open Enrollment Handbook
Open Enrollment Application for the 2024-2025 & 2025-2026 School Years
2023-2024 Open Enrollment Billing Chart
2023-2024 Open Enrollment Transportation Assistance Guidance
The updated transportation assistance amount for reimbursement will be available at the end of January, 2024. Transportation assistance for those who qualify according to income guidelines is available only between contiguous districts and is deducted from the amount sent to the receiving district. The amount for reimbursement is limited to three elementary (K-8) students and one secondary (grades 9 -12) student.
For general information, please contact Stacie Stokes at stacie.stokes@iowa.gov or 515-210-5288. For open enrollment billing questions, please contact Song Luong at song.luong1@iowa.gov or 515-205-0259. For special education billing questions, please contact Luke Markway at luke.markway@iowa.gov or 515-393-8349. For transportation assistance guidance, please contact Max Christensen at max.christensen@iowa.gov or 515-336-3965.
Pursuant to Iowa Code section 279.82, the Intradistrict Transfer Request form is to be used by a parent or guardian when notifying the school district that they intend to enroll the student in another attendance center within the same school district after the school district determines that any student enrolled in the school district has harassed or bullied the student.
The form can also be found on the Bullying and Harassment webpage.
Food Service Equipment Assistance Grant Funds are available for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services awarded Iowa $260,193 to award to School Food Authorities (SFAs) through a competitive grant process. Equipment purchases must be greater than $1,000 and must meet at least one of the three focus areas: improvement of food safety, service of healthier meals, and/or necessary to establish, maintain or expand the School Breakfast Program (SBP). SFAs will not be awarded more than $30,000 for equipment per school site.
The USDA Equipment Assistance Grant Availability Notice provides additional details on eligibility requirements, reporting requirements, timeline and evaluation criteria. The application process requires schools to complete two different applications. The first application is the FY2023 Equipment Assistance Funds SFA Application Google Form. The second application is the School Site Application, which will be emailed to the applicant upon submission of the SFA Application. The grant application must be submitted by February 27, 2024. Contact Christine Crow at christine.crow@iowa.gov with any questions.
Registration is now open for the winter session of courses through the Iowa College and Career Readiness Academy, which starts January 8 and continues through March 3, 2024. The academy, a program of the Iowa Department of Education's Bureau of Iowa College Aid and AEA Learning Online, offers online courses designed for school counselors, teachers, administrators and others helping students attain postsecondary education in Iowa.
In addition to the four synchronous courses offered this winter, the Iowa College and Career Readiness Academy has added an entirely asynchronous new course. There's no start/end date, and participants can enroll and complete the facilitated course at their own pace around their busy schedules. The course, Supporting Graduation, College & Careers For English Learners, identifies challenges and potential barriers unique to families new to the United States or have students developing their academic English language proficiency.
To register, individuals must log into the AEA Iowa Professional Learning website using their current AEA Learning System username and password. If a new account is created, courses will not be accessible until the following business day. Individuals can register as participants at no cost or select to earn license renewal or graduate credit through Drake University, Grand View University or Morningside College.
More information about the academy and additional course offerings are available on the Iowa College Aid's website.
The Visiting Teachers from Spain Program is an exciting venture between the Iowa Department of Education and the Ministry of Education and Culture of Spain (MECS). The purpose of the Exchange Visitor Program is to promote cultural and educational exchange between citizens of the United States and those of other countries. Local school districts and accredited nonpublic schools have the opportunity to fill vacant Spanish and dual language teaching positions for up to 3 years. Teachers are hired in accordance with all other local policies in terms of salary scale, licensure, and local system requirements. The Iowa Department of Education is now accepting applications of intent for districts and accredited nonpublic schools interested in the program. Go to the Visiting Teachers from Spain webpage to find information about the program and apply. Applications are due March 14, 2024. For more information, contact Stefanie Wager at stefanie.wager@iowa.gov or 515-419-2876.
Visit and subscribe to the Annual Notices and Deadlines Calendar for a list of state and federal notices and deadlines for all public and nonpublic schools.
It is the policy of the Iowa Department of Education not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, political party affiliation, or actual or potential parental, family or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code sections 216.9 and 256.10(2), Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000d2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C.§§ 1681 – 1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.). If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy by the Iowa Department of Education, please contact the legal counsel for the Iowa Department of Education, Grimes State Office Building, 400 E. 14th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0146, telephone number: 515-281-5295, or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, John C. Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn Street, 37th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604-7204, telephone number: 312-730-1560, FAX number: 312-730-1576, TDD number: 800-877-8339, email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov
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