260A.1 Community college vocational-technical technology improvement appropriation.

1. Notwithstanding section 8.57, subsection 5, paragraph "c", there is appropriated from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund created in section 8.57, to the department of education for each fiscal year of the fiscal period beginning July 1, 1997, and ending June 30, 2001, the sum of three million dollars for the community college vocational- technical technology improvement program.

2. Moneys appropriated in subsection 1 shall be allocated by the department of education to each community college on the basis of each community college's share of overall community college student enrollment. The overall enrollment and each community college district's share of the overall enrollment shall be determined utilizing refined enrollment reporting methods approved by the department of education using data from the most recently concluded fiscal year. The department of education shall determine enrollment share percentages for each community college district for purposes of allocating the moneys.

3. For each year in which an appropriation is made to the community college vocational-technical technology improvement program, the department of education shall notify the department of revenue and finance of the amount to be paid to each community college based upon the allocation criteria set forth for the appropriation pursuant to subsection 2. Allocations to each community college under this section shall be made in one payment on or about October 15 and one payment on or about February 15 of the fiscal year in which the appropriation is made, taking into consideration the relative budget and cash position of the state resources.

4. Moneys received by a community college under this section shall not be commingled with general state financial aid, including financial aid to merged areas in lieu of personal property tax replacement payments, to merged areas as defined in section 260C.2, and including moneys received for vocational education programs in accordance with chapters 258 and 260C. Payments made to a community college shall be accounted for by the community college separately from other state aid payments. Each community college shall maintain a separate listing within its budget accounting for payments received and expenditures made pursuant to this section and section 260A.3.

5. Moneys received under this section shall supplement, not supplant, the moneys each community college budgets for technology. A community college may also use moneys received under this section for projects, as defined in section 8.57, subsection 5, paragraph "c", related to the acquisition or installation of technology. A community college shall not be eligible for funds under this section unless the community college, without including moneys received under this section, maintains the same average amount of expenditure for technology per year as the community college maintains during the fiscal period beginning July 1, 1994, and ending June 30, 1997.

6. Moneys received under this section shall not be used for payment of any collective bargaining agreement or arbitrator's decision negotiated or awarded under chapter 20.

260A.2 Community college vocational-technical technology improvement plans.

Prior to receiving moneys under this chapter, the board of directors of a community college shall adopt a technology plan that supports community college vocational-technical technology improvement efforts, authorizes a needs assessment of business and industry in the district, and includes an evaluation component, and shall provide to the department of education adequate assurance that funds received under this chapter will be used in accordance with the technology plan. The plan shall be developed by licensed professional staff of the community college, including both faculty members and school administrators, the private sector, trade and professional organizations, and other interested parties, and shall, at a minimum, focus on the attainment of the vocational-technical skills and achievement goals of the student. The plan shall consider the community college's interconnectivity with the Iowa communications network, and shall demonstrate how, over a four-year period, the board will utilize technology to improve vocational-technical student achievement. The technology plan shall be kept on file at the community college. Progress made under the plan shall be reported annually to the department of education in a manner prescribed by the department of education.

260A.3 Community college vocational-technical technology improvement expenditures.

A community college shall expend funds received pursuant to section 260A.1 for the acquisition, lease, lease-purchase, installation, and maintenance of instructional technology equipment used in vocational-technical programs, including hardware and software, materials, and supplies related to instructional technology, faculty development and training related to instructional technology, and projects, as defined in section 8.57, subsection 5, paragraph "c", related to the acquisition or installation of technology funded through this chapter, and shall establish priorities for the use of the funds. However, funds received by a community college pursuant to section 260A.1 shall not be expended to add a full-time equivalent position or otherwise increase staffing.

260A.4 Future repeal.

This chapter is repealed effective July 1, 2001.