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HF 68

A bill for an act modifying provisions related to open enrollment policies and English-language learners.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jacob Bossman

Requires districts to include EL instructional capacity when defining 'insufficient classroom space' for open enrollment, shaping EL staffing and space planning.

Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 900.
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Bill Summary · HF 68

HF 68 (renumbered HF 900): Summary of Open Enrollment and English Learner provisions

Overview

HF 68, introduced January 16, 2025 by sponsor Bossman, modernizes open enrollment guidelines by tying “insufficient classroom space” to a district’s capacity to provide instruction to English learners (ELs). The bill progresses through committee action, with a committee report recommending passage (March 5, 2025) and a subsequent renumbering to HF 900 (March 10, 2025). The bill focuses on the standards districts use to determine whether space is insufficient for open enrollment, adding English learner instructional capacity to that assessment.

What changes the bill would make

  • Amends Section 282.18, subsection 2, paragraph c (Code 2025) to require each school district to adopt a policy defining the term “insufficient classroom space.”
  • The district-defined definition must include standards related to the district’s capacity to provide instruction to English learners (ELs), as defined in section 280.4.
  • The bill preserves existing framework: current law requires receiving districts to approve timely open enrollment applications unless space is insufficient, and districts must adopt a policy defining insufficient space. The new language expands the criteria for that definition to explicitly account for EL instructional capacity.

Who is affected

  • All school districts in the state that participate in open enrollment.
  • English learners and the programs and resources dedicated to serving EL students (including staffing, class-size considerations, and EL service delivery capacity).
  • Families seeking to enroll students through open enrollment, particularly those with EL backgrounds.

Key provisions and details

  • Definition of “insufficient classroom space” must now reflect a district’s ability to instruct English learners.
  • The existing EL definition remains in place: an EL is a student from a non-English language background, where English proficiency indicates a probability of academic success in English-only settings is below that of an academically successful peer with an English language background (as per section 280.4).
  • The change places EL capacity considerations directly into the open enrollment space-definition standard used by receiving districts.

Procedural timeline and status

  • Introduced: January 16, 2025
  • Subcommittee: February 25–27, 2025 (recommended passage)
  • Committee action: March 5, 2025 (yea 16, nays 7) with committee report recommending passage
  • Renumbering: March 10, 2025 (renumbered to HF 900)
  • Current status: Committee-approved, moving forward in the legislative process

Practical implications

  • Districts may need to assess and document EL instruction capacity when defining “insufficient space.”
  • Open enrollment decisions could be influenced by EL program staffing, classroom availability, and resource commitments.
  • Could affect district planning, budgeting, and EL service delivery strategies to avoid over-committing spaces without adequate EL support.

Sponsor: BOSSMAN (primary).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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