Charter school students will have more access to classes and services through their home district under a bill signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds Tuesday.
The wide-ranging law is the latest move by Republican lawmakers to expand their school choice agenda, after Reynolds signed a law in 2021 expanding state-funded charter schools.
“This legislation allows more of students' per pupil funding streams to follow them to public charter schools, because every public school student deserves equal support,” Reynolds said.
The measure saw pushback from Democrats in the Legislature, who criticized the bill for diverting funding away from school districts, while requiring them to offer services to students not enrolled in their schools.
Reynolds signed the bill at Des Moines Prep, surrounded by charter school students, administrators and state lawmaker who helped craft the bill. The charter school opened last fall in Des Moines’ East Village and currently serves eighth and ninth graders.
The proposal, House File 2754, includes several of the governor’s education priorities outlined at the beginning of the legislative session, in addition to other provisions around charter school administration, education savings accounts (ESA), homeschooling and preschool.
Des Moines Prep Principal Matt Lakis said the law will give charter school students more opportunities to access challenging coursework and pursue their favorite activities.
“They are full of potential, just like all students across Iowa, and when families are given access to strong schools, meaningful opportunities and supportive environments, they rise to meet them,” he said.
The governor said 10 charter schools are currently operational in the state out of 18 that have been authorized.
What does the law do?
Under the law, state funding sent to public school districts to support school teacher salaries would follow students to charter schools. The funding, known as the teacher salary supplement (TSS) was reformulated in 2024 to help school districts meet the new required salary minimums for teachers.
The state’s current cost per pupil for TSS is $684.47. The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency estimates the change will send $1.3 million in TSS funding to charter schools in the 2026-2027 school year.
When the proposal passed the Senate in April, Democrats criticized it for diverting funds to charter schools that have fewer spending and reporting requirements than traditional public schools. They also criticized the bill for sending the funds to charter schools, which are not required to meet teacher salary minimums like local school districts.
Expanded access for charter school students
The law lets charter schools students enroll in extracurricular activities through their home district or a nearby district if their charter school hasn’t offered the activity in the past two years. If an activity requires a fee for participation, charter school students would be subject to the same fee.
And, the law allows charter students to enroll in community college courses in high school through their home district, with districts covering course costs. In April, Democrats in the Legislature proposed an amendment to have charter and nonpublic schools help pay for costs for the community college classes, but it failed to pass.
The law also requires school districts to make driver’s education courses available to charter school students, but charter schools would be responsible for covering course costs.
Homeschooling and preschool changes
The law also loosens some regulations for homeschooling. Homeschooling families offering instruction under the competent private instruction model, are now allowed to have more than four unrelated students and charge tuition.
The law also allows churches and community groups to participate in Iowa’s statewide voluntary preschool program without having to partner with a school district.
Other provisions in the law:
- Authorizes the University of Northern Iowa to approve and oversee charter schools, in addition to the Iowa State Board of Education.
- Allows charter school employees to participate in Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS).
- Creates a revolving loan fund through the Iowa Finance Authority for charter schools to purchase and remodel school facilities.
- Adds a second window between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15 for families to apply for the state’s ESA program for students at private schools.
- Allows the Department of Education to accredit a nonpublic school if they lose their accreditation from an approved independent accrediting agency.
- Requires the Department of Education to review training programs and teacher license renewal requirements and submit findings to the Legislature by the end of the year.
- Designates charter schools as local education agencies for federal funding.
- Requires diplomas and transcripts from homeschooling families to be accepted the same as documents from public and private high schools.
