Senate File 344 - Introduced SENATE FILE 344 BY GREEN A BILL FOR An Act requiring the boards of directors of school districts to 1 allow certain community organizations reasonable access to 2 school property. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2634XS (2) 91 jda/jh
S.F. 344 Section 1. Section 297.9, Code 2025, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 297.9 Use for other than school purposes. 3 1. The board of directors of any school district may 4 authorize the use of any schoolhouse and its grounds within 5 such district for the purpose of meetings of granges, 6 lodges, agricultural societies, and similar societies, for 7 parent-teacher associations, for community recreational 8 activities, community education programs, election purposes, 9 other meetings of public interest, public forums and similar 10 community purposes; provided that such use shall in no way 11 interfere with school activities; such use to be for such 12 compensation and upon such terms and conditions as may be fixed 13 by said board for the proper protection of the schoolhouse 14 and the property belonging therein, including that of pupils, 15 except that in the case of community education programs, any 16 compensation necessary for programs provided specifically by 17 community education and not those provided through community 18 education by other agencies or organizations shall be 19 compensated from the funding provided for community education 20 programs. 21 2. a. The board of directors of each school district 22 shall allow a community organization reasonable access to any 23 schoolhouse and its grounds within such district to distribute 24 and provide instructional materials in order to encourage 25 participation in the community organization. 26 b. The board of directors of each school district shall 27 establish terms and conditions governing the reasonable access 28 provided to a community organization under paragraph a to 29 provide for the proper protection of students enrolled in 30 the school district, employees of the school district, the 31 schoolhouse, and the property within the schoolhouse. The 32 terms and conditions governing the reasonable access must 33 satisfy all of the following requirements: 34 (1) Prohibit a community organization from interfering with 35 -1- LSB 2634XS (2) 91 jda/jh 1/ 2
S.F. 344 classroom instructional time. 1 (2) When it can be reasonably accommodated, allow a 2 community organization to have access to after-school events, 3 including back-to-school events. 4 c. For purposes of this subsection, community organization 5 means any patriotic and national organization described in 36 6 U.S.C. 20101 240112, as of July 1, 2018. 7 EXPLANATION 8 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 9 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 10 This bill requires the boards of directors of school 11 districts to allow certain community organizations reasonable 12 access to school property. 13 The bill requires the board of directors of each school 14 district to allow a community organization to have reasonable 15 access to any schoolhouse and its grounds to distribute 16 and provide instructional materials in order to encourage 17 participation in the community organization. The school 18 district is required to establish terms and conditions 19 governing the reasonable access provided to a community 20 organization to provide for the proper protection of 21 students enrolled in the school district, employees of the 22 school district, the schoolhouse, and the property within 23 the schoolhouse. The terms and conditions must prohibit 24 a community organization from interfering with classroom 25 instructional time and allow a community organization to 26 have access to after-school events when such access can 27 be reasonably accommodated. The bill defines community 28 organization by reference to federal law related to patriotic 29 and national organizations. 30 -2- LSB 2634XS (2) 91 jda/jh 2/ 2