(Radio Iowa) – The House has voted to increase state incentives for school districts that share operational staff, like superintendents. Districts that share human resource managers, custodians and social workers qualify for state incentives, but a dozen districts had exceeded the maximum number of shared staff. The bill adjusts the formula, so those schools will see larger state incentive payments. Representative Cecil Dolecheck, of Mount Ayr, is the bill’s floor manager. “There are 124 of our small school districts in the state of Iowa who share a superintendent,” Dolecheck, “so this is much needed for those school districts that rely on that shared operational function.”

The bill also lets small schools enter into sharing arrangements with an Area Education Agency, so an A-E-A staff member could also serve as the special education director for a small district.