Senate Republicans are making their initial offer on state funding of Iowa’s public and private schools. It would be a per pupil increase of 1.75% for the next school year. Governor Reynolds has recommended a two percent increase. Senator Lynn Evans, a Republican from Aurelia, is a retired superintendent who says the goal is to make the decision quickly, so school officials can make decisions on next year’s budgets.
Margaret Buckton is a lobbyist for the Urban School Network and the Rural Schools of Iowa. She says due to declining enrollment, 90 districts will get less state support next year at that level — just as they’re required by state law to pay beginning and experienced teachers higher salaries.
Fort Madison School Board member Rachella Dravis is a recently retired teacher and she says school boards will have to make unpopular decisions.
Under the Senate Republicans’ plan, the increase in state funding for public schools would be 145 dollars per pupil. And each state-funded account to cover a student’s private school expenses would get a deposit of over 81-hundred dollars.
