Iowa School funding deal reached, local legislator tweets

DES MOINES - State lawmakers' monthslong impasse on school funding may be close to an end.

Iowa Rep. Art Staed, D-Cedar Rapids, posted on social media Wednesday that legislative leaders have agreed to a compromise of a 1.25-percent increase in K-12 public school funding plus a one-time appropriation of $55 million.

That would yield roughly $105 million in general program funding for school districts, a total that is essentially equal to a proposal offered a month ago by Democrats.

Republican House Speaker Kraig Paulsen and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal said no formal agreement has been reached.

'We're hopeful we'll in the next few days find common ground,” Gronstal said.

Paulsen said the two discussed school funding at least three times Wednesday.

'I haven't agreed to anything,” Paulsen said. 'I have not had a formal offer extended to me, nor have I made a formal offer. But I know there's a lot of buzz about it.”

Paulsen declined to say whether a deal was imminent.

'That's in the eye of the beholder,” Paulsen said. Legislators 'can be inches apart, and it takes forever, and we can be miles apart and it takes a total of 10 minutes” to compromise.

Gronstal said that 'there have been constructive discussions” but cautioned an announcement of an agreement is premature before lawmakers from both parties in the House and Senate agree to it.

Any agreement reached by leaders would have to be approved by a majority of lawmakers in the House and Senate, and then by the governor.

The two political parties have been deadlocked on school funding since early in the legislative session that began in January.

Republicans have held firm to a proposed 1.25 percent increase over the previous fiscal year, or roughly $50 million in new funds for general programming. Republicans say their offer is the most the state can afford in a tight budget.

Democrats have lowered their initial proposal of a 6 percent increase to 2.625 percent, which would give schools roughly $105 million. They say more funding is needed to avoid teacher layoffs and program cuts at schools.

The proposal posted by Staed also would yield $105 million, but only 1.25 percent - or $50 million - would go into the education budget baseline. So when legislators meet again next year to decide school funding, they would be starting with a general programming budget with roughly $55 million less than they would have with a 2.625-percent increase.

The potential compromise would give both political parties something they have sought in school funding negotiations. Democrats would get roughly the same amount they would have at 2.625 percent, and Republicans would stay within their self-imposed budgeting parameters of not using surplus funds for ongoing expenses like education funding.

'Is more needed? Absolutely,” said Sen. Brian Schoenjahn, D-Arlington. 'It's reality. It's the best that we can do given the Republican position in the House, and we'll move forward with the rest of our budgets.”