1. Boards of school districts, individually or jointly with boards of other school districts, requesting to use a modified supplemental amount for costs in excess of the amount received under section 257.11, subsection 4, for programs for at-risk students, secondary students who attend alternative programs and alternative schools, and returning dropouts and dropout prevention, shall approve, by resolution, comprehensive program plans for the programs and budget costs, including annual requests for a modified supplemental amount for funding the programs. The program plans shall include:

1. By January 15, 1995, each school district shall adopt a plan to provide alternative options education programs to students who are either at risk of dropping out or have dropped out. An alternative options education program may be provided in a district, through a sharing agreement with a school in a contiguous district, or through an areawide program available at the community college serving the merged area in which the school district is located. Each area education agency shall provide assistance in establishing a plan to provide alternative education options to students attending a public school in a district served by the agency.

2. If a district has not adopted a plan as required in this section and implemented the plan by January 15, 1996, the area education agency serving the district shall assist the district with developing a plan and an alternative options education program for the pupil. When a plan is developed, the district shall be responsible for the operation of the program and shall reimburse the area education agency for the actual costs incurred by the area education agency under this section.

3. Notwithstanding section 22.7, subsection 1, records kept regarding a student who has participated in a program under this section shall be requested by school officials of a public or nonpublic receiving school in which the student seeks to enroll, and shall be provided by the sending school. A school official who receives information under this section shall disclose this information only to those school officials and employees whose duties require them to be involved with the student. A school official or employee who discloses information received under this section in violation of this subsection shall be subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to reprimand, suspension, or termination. "School officials and employees" means those officials and persons employed by a nonpublic school or public school district, and area education agency staff members who provide services to schools or school districts.

The board of directors of a school district and the authorities in charge of a nonpublic school which receives services supported by federal funds shall expel from school for a period of not less than one year a student who is determined to have brought a weapon to a school or knowingly possessed a weapon at a school under the jurisdiction of the board or the authorities. However, the superintendent or chief administering officer of a school or school district may modify expulsion requirements on a case-by-case basis. This section shall not be construed to prevent the board of directors of a school district or the authorities in charge of a nonpublic school that have expelled a student from the student's regular school setting from providing educational services to the student in an alternative setting. If both this section and section 282.4 apply, this section takes precedence over section 282.4. For purposes of this section, "weapon" means a firearm as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 921. This section shall be construed in a manner consistent with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.

For purposes of these rules, the following definitions shall apply:

"Alternative options education programs" means alternative programs or schools as identified in Iowa Code section 280.19A.

"Alternative program" means a class or environment established within the regular educational program and designed to accommodate specific student educational needs such as, but not limited to, work-related training; reading, mathematics or science skills; communication skills; social skills; physical skills; employability skills; study skills; or life skills.

"Alternative school" means an environment established apart from the regular educational program and that includes policies and rules, staff, and resources designed to accommodate student needs and to provide a comprehensive education consistent with the student learning goals and content standards established by the school district or by the school districts participating in a consortium. Students attend by choice.

"Annual improvement goals" means the desired one-year.