Iowa school funding impasse is about competing values, not money

Last week, the school funding impasse took another ugly turn, with Democratic and Republican leaders accusing each other of playing politics with our kids' education.

But the stalemate, as frustrating as it is, isn't about who values Iowa kids more. It isn't even - at bottom - a disagreement about dollar figures or percentages. It's a question of coming to grips with our priorities and the trade-offs they require. That's not something that can be resolved through legislative arm wrestling or by distributing a handful of talking points. It requires honest public deliberation.

Democrats say a 4 percent increase in per-pupil spending will save school districts from possible program and staffing cuts. Republicans say their proposal, to increase spending by 1.25 percent, is a more prudent increase given expected revenues. Neither party is wrong, but both are presenting only half the story.

And we are in danger of finding ourselves back in this position during every budget discussion until we agree on some questions of value, recognizing each choice will require us to give up something else we want.

Should we:

' Control education budgets to keep increases in line with revenues, even if that means school districts have to dig deeper to find efficiencies within budgets that are earmarked, overwhelmingly, for staff?

' Fund schools at the level they need to maintain current services at the expense of other budget priorities?

' Fund schools in a way that pushes them to innovate in hope of a dramatically better return on our investment (i.e., outcomes for our kids), given the uncertainty it will involve?

It is too late this session for lawmakers to debate such fundamentals. Anyway, it isn't their responsibility to do so. It's ours.

There is no magic number for education funding. No single right answer. It's about what we are willing to sacrifice in the service of what we want. So tell me, what do you think?

' Comments: (319) 398-8469; jennifer.hemmingsen@thegazette.com