Therapeutic Classroom

The Therapeutic Classroom Grant program provides competitive grants to public school districts to establish therapeutic classrooms for learners ages 3 to 21 whose emotional, social, or behavioral needs interfere with their ability to be successful in their current educational environment (Iowa Code 256.25). Districts applying for the grant may seek funds to establish new classrooms and/or install critical components into current classrooms/programs that they are developing into therapeutic classrooms. 

What is a therapeutic classroom?

"Therapeutic classroom" means a classroom designed for the purpose of providing support for any student, with or without an Individualized Education Program (IEP), whose emotional, social, or behavioral needs interfere with the student’s ability to be successful in the current educational environment, with or without supports, until the student is able to successfully return to the student’s current education environment, with or without supports, including but not limited to the general education classroom.

A school district may include therapeutic classrooms as part of its district’s or building’s tiers of supports. The word “classroom” is a descriptor of an educational set of services that create the educational environment that may include, but is not required to include, a separate physical setting from other students.

For a more comprehensive definition of therapeutic classroom, see Iowa Administrative Code 281-14.

Therapeutic Classroom Requirements

A school district is not required to operate a therapeutic classroom; however, a school district is required to ensure therapeutic services are available, whether in-district or otherwise, to students who need those services to access or benefit from an education.

For state reporting and reimbursement purposes, to be considered a therapeutic classroom, the program/classroom must serve both students with and without IEPs and include all the components listed in Iowa Administrative Code 281-14.13.

Therapeutic Classroom Grants

Grant applications are currently closed to Therapeutic Classroom Resources.

• Therapeutic Classroom Grant Assurances (156.33 KB) .pdf
• Allowable Allocations and Expenditures (98.85 KB) .pdf
• Therapeutic Classroom Implementation Rubric (291.27 KB) .pdf
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (149.39 KB) .pdf

Grant Awards

2025-26

• Bondurant-Farrar Community School District
• Cedar Rapids Community School District
• Cherokee Community School District
• Davenport Community School District
• Durant Community School District
• Keokuk Community School District
• Pella Community School District
• Spencer Community School District

Reporting Requirements

• Each fall, districts are required to report within the Consolidated Accountability and Support Application (CASA) the number of therapeutic classrooms they operate.
• Districts must report transfers and referrals to therapeutic classrooms using their student information system.
• By Nov. 1 of each year, the Department of Education must provide an annual report to the legislators regarding therapeutic classroom referrals and transfers.

Service Claims

When a district provides therapeutic services to a student without an IEP, it may seek reimbursement for those services.

• Districts providing therapeutic classrooms/services in accordance with the requirements of Iowa Code 281–14.13 may submit a reimbursement claim to the department for students served by their therapeutic classroom during the prior school year who have BIPs but no IEP weighting. Districts may submit claims for a 1.5 weighting based on the number of days they served the student and the number of days in the school district’s calendar.
• Claims for the 2024-2025 school year will be open in CASA on April 1, 2026, and are due by June 15, 2026.

This is legislated funding and is in place as long as it is appropriated and until it is exhausted. See Iowa Administrative Code 281-14.14.

Program Report

2025 Therapeutic Classroom Report (1006.86 KB) .pdf