The true cost of underfunding education in Iowa

Linn County-area school adminstrators, guest columnists

Most students in Iowa depend on public schools for their education. This is why it's imperative for taxpayers and parents to understand the impact of the mediocre education funding approved by our state elected officials last week.

The classroom of today is different from what many of us might remember. While some legislators have argued that public school enrollment has remained somewhat constant in our state, I think all educators would be quick to tell you that the dynamic in our classrooms is dramatically different. In a state that spends about $1,100 less per pupil than the national average, our teachers are managing more challenging behaviors, supporting record numbers of English Language Learners and working harder than ever to reach students who come to them with a wider spectrum of need.

Supporting these students starts with quality funding, and compared to the rest of the Iowa economy, the funds to educate our students are not keeping pace. As Iowa personal income has grown 51.3 percent and state general fund revenues- the lifeline for our public education system- has grown 58.7 percent, the state cost per pupil has grown only 41.5 percent. Last year when state general fund revenue growth was in excess of 6 percent, our schools were given only a 1.25 percent increase. For next year the state general fund is projected to grow at 4.1 percent, and the legislature and governor approved a 2.25 percent increase in per pupil cost.

Perhaps this lag in funding is easier to view from a distance, but every day, as educational leaders in our public school system, we are saddened by the growing disparity that's occurring as a result.

We have countless examples of the changing and unsatisfying realities that exist in our classrooms and in our districts that have been forced by the lack of predictability and equity in our funding. During this time of low funding increases, our schools have expanded preschool opportunities, taken on a new teacher leadership initiative, dedicated funding to early literacy, provided college level courses for credit during high school, and still are producing the highest graduation rate in the nation.

But there are costs associated with providing these results, and our elected officials are not supporting these desired outcomes with a viable funding stream.

Iowa taxpayers and parents have entrusted us with our state's most valuable asset. We know that we are philosophically aligned with our legislators in seeking the best formative and educational experiences for our future workforce, but as we banter back and forth about the allocation of adequate funds, we're missing an opportunity with the students sitting in today's classrooms.

Public education is the single largest expenditure for our state and one that's equally as contentious. We strongly disagree that the funding of our schools has been made a priority during this or recent sessions, and we look forward to collaborating with democrats and republicans from both chambers as we work toward a predictable and acceptable funding stream that provides a healthy foundation of learning for Iowa's students.

Signed:

Dr. Bradley Buck, Superintendent, Cedar Rapids Community School District

John Laverty, Board President, Cedar Rapids Community School District

Dr. Quintin Shepherd, Superintendent, Linn-Mar Community School District

Tim Isenberg, Board President, Linn-Mar Community School District

Chris Dyer, Superintendent, Marion Independent School District

David Law, Board President, Marion Independent School District

John Speer, Superintendent, College Community School District

Randy Bauer, Board President, College Community School District

Joe Crozier, Chief Administrator, Grant Wood AEA

Jim Green, Board President, Grant Wood AEA