Applications for Waivers & Exemptions

Application Submission

All applications and waivers listed on this page are submitted through the Consolidated Accountability and Support Application (CASA). These applications are accessible only to users identified as a superintendent or nonpublic administrator.

Instructions for CASA Access (114.04 KB) .pdf

Home School Assistance Program Limitation Exemption

Iowa Administrative Code 281-31.4(4)

• Department Deadlines: Not Applicable
• Board Approval: Not Applicable
• Hearing: None required
• Assurances: None required
• Application Components:
  • Licensed Iowa Practitioner Name
  • Folder number
  • Exception from family limitation of 20 to __ and/or
  • Exemption from children limitation of 40 to __
  • Reason for Exemption
    • More families/students enrolled than initially anticipated and the best interest of all children will continue to be met
    • Teacher on extended leave. Students re-assigned and the best interests of all children will continue to be met.
    • Teacher left unexpectedly. Students re-assigned and the best interests of all children will continue to be met.
    • Other (limit 150 characters)
• Application Instructions: This application is submitted through the Consolidated Accountability and Support Application (CASA). Applications are available only to superintendents and nonpublic administrators.  Home School Assistance Program Limitation Exemption Instructions (101 KB) .pdf  Contact Buffy Campbell at buffy.campbell@iowa.gov with questions.

Year Round Attendance Center

Iowa Code 279.10

• Department Deadline: Applications must be received no later than November 1 of the year preceding the calendar start date. Districts will be notified no later than January 15 of the Department’s approval or denial of the application. Applications are approved for two years at a time. The district must reapply in November of the year preceding the expiration of the approval for the subsequent two years.
• Board Approval: Required upload of minutes.
• Hearing: All applications are required to include a copy of the minutes from the public hearing at which the calendar was approved. These minutes must be signed by the district’s superintendent.
• Assurances: (a) the attendance center will provide at least ten days of instruction or the hourly equivalent during eleven of the twelve months of the year, (b) the period of time between instructional days will not exceed six weeks, and (c) the attendance center serves all students, and attendance is not limited based on any trait or characteristic of a student.
• Application components:
  • Assurances and acknowledgment of the requirement to report start date in BEDS
  • Grades served
  • Number of calendar hours or days
  • Date of public hearing
  • Minutes from public hearing
• Application Instructions - This application is submitted through the Consolidated Accountability and Support Application (CASA). The district must request that this application be made accessible in the system. Contact casa@iowa.gov for this addition.

Instructional Hours vs. Days (133.85 KB) .pdf

Offer and Teach Exemption and Waiver for Online Courses

Iowa Code 256.11.17

• Department Deadline: Applications must be received no later than October 1 of the school year for which the waiver is requested
• Required Assurance: The district or nonpublic school assures that provision of a course through an online alternative shall be offered in one of the following ways:
  1. The district, school, or a consortium of schools provides the course in an online learning platform in a manner that meets the requirements of the rules for online learning passed by the Board;
  2. The district or school uses a private provider approved by the Department; or
  3. The district or school uses an online platform offered by the Department in collaboration with the AEAs and/or districts or nonpublic schools.
  4. The course is taught by an Iowa-licensed teacher.
• If applying for an exemption for world language, personal finance literacy and/or computer science
  Indicate which of the following criteria were met and upload the corresponding documentation.
  1. Fewer than ten students typically register for the course, or
  2. The district/school makes every reasonable and good faith effort to employ a licensed teacher to teach the course, but is unable to
• If applying for an exemption for up to two science, social studies, English-language arts, mathematics, physical education, career and technical education, fine arts and/or health courses
  Indicate which of the following criteria were met and upload the corresponding documentation.
  1. Fewer than ten students typically register for the course, or
  2. The district/school makes every reasonable and good faith effort to employ a licensed teacher to teach the course, but is unable to
• If applying for a waiver for up to two ADDITIONAL science, social studies, English-language arts, mathematics, physical education, career and technical education, fine arts and/or health courses
  Indicate which of the following criteria were met and upload the corresponding documentation.
  1. Fewer than ten students typically register for the course, or
  2. The district/school makes every reasonable and good faith effort to employ a licensed teacher to teach the course, but is unable to
     AND
     • How did the district or nonpublic school incentivize students to register for the course?
     • Does the district or nonpublic school wish to request a second waiver for a high school science, social studies, English-language arts, mathematics, physical education, career and technical education, fine arts, or health course?
• Application Instructions - This application is submitted through the Consolidated Accountability and Support Application (CASA). Applications are available only to superintendents and nonpublic administrators.