Reynolds signs law letting Perry schools pay retention bonuses to employees after shooting

Perry schools will be able to provide retention bonuses to staff members and will see some graduation requirements waived after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law Friday in response to a shooting earlier this year at the district's high school.

The Jan. 4 shooting at Perry High School shook the community after a high school student fatally shot 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff and Principal Dan Marburger and wounded six other people before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot.

"As the Perry Community School District continues to heal, this legislation will provide students, teachers, and staff with an additional layer of support, allowing them the flexibility they need to care for themselves and each other," Reynolds said in a statement Friday announcing the bill signing. "We stand with Perry and are committed to doing whatever we can to help the community recover."

House File 2653 allows the Perry Community School District to use up to $700,000 from its existing district management levy funds to pay retention bonuses to school employees for the upcoming school year.

It also waives certain state requirements for the amount of instruction time the district must offer and assessments that students must take to graduate. The district suspended classes for several weeks following the shooting.

The law passed with bipartisan support.

"By allowing these bonuses, it is Perry's hope that they can mitigate losing teachers and staff over the next year," Rep., Carter Nordman, R-Panora, said when the House passed the bill last month.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.