Terms Used In Iowa Code > Chapter 257 - Financing School Programs

• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Base year: means the school year ending during the calendar year in which a budget is certified. See Iowa Code 257.2
• Budget adjustment: means an adjustment to the regular program district cost of a school district for school districts in which the regular program district cost for a year would be less than the regular program district cost for the previous year. See Iowa Code 257.2
• Budget year: means the school year beginning during the calendar year in which a budget is certified. See Iowa Code 257.2
• Child: includes child by adoption. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Combined district cost per pupil: is a n amount determined by adding together the regular program district cost per pupil for a year and the special education support services district cost per pupil for that year as calculated under section 257. See Iowa Code 257.2
• Combined state cost per pupil: is a per pupil amount determined by adding together the regular program state cost per pupil for a year and the special education support services state cost per pupil for that year as calculated under section 257. See Iowa Code 257.2
• Committee: means the school budget review committee. See Iowa Code 257.2
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Degree: means a postsecondary credential conferring on the recipient the title of associate, bachelor, master, or doctor, or an equivalent title, signifying educational attainment based on study which may be supplemented by experience or achievement testing. See Iowa Code 261B.2
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Expenditures: means the total amounts paid from the general fund of a school district. See Iowa Code 257.2
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Internet: means the federated international system that is composed of allied electronic communication networks linked by telecommunication channels, that uses standardized protocols, and that facilitates electronic communication services, including but not limited to use of the world wide web; the transmission of electronic mail or messages; the transfer of files and data or other electronic information; and the transmission of voice, image, and video. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Miscellaneous income: means the receipts deposited to the general fund of the school district but not including any of the following:
   a. See Iowa Code 257.2
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Presence: means a location in Iowa at which a student participates in any structured activity related to a school's distance education course of instruction, with the exception of proctored examinations. See Iowa Code 261B.2
• Property: means a tangible object, animate or inanimate, under a museum's care which has intrinsic historic, artistic, scientific, or cultural value. See Iowa Code 305B.2
• Property tax adjustment: means state aid distributed to those school districts in which the property tax revenues generated under this chapter would be higher than the revenues generated under Iowa Code 257.2
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
• School: means an agency of the state or political subdivision of the state, individual, partnership, company, firm, society, trust, association, corporation, or any combination which meets any of the following criteria:
   a. See Iowa Code 261B.2
• School district: means a school corporation organized under chapter 274. See Iowa Code 257.2
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
• state individual income tax: means the taxes computed under section 422. See Iowa Code 257.21
• State percent of growth: means the percent of growth which is established by statute pursuant to section 257. See Iowa Code 257.2
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Student: means a person who enrolls in or seeks to enroll in a course of instruction offered or conducted by a school. See Iowa Code 261B.2
• Supplemental state aid: means the amount by which state cost per pupil and district cost per pupil will increase from one budget year to the next as the result of the state percent of growth. See Iowa Code 257.2
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Unexpended fund balance: means a school district's unreserved and undesignated fund balances. See Iowa Code 257.2
• year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1