Iowa GOP lawmakers to propose $40 million more for K-12 schools

DES MOINES - Iowa Republicans are proposing to increase state aid to K-12 public schools by $40 million next school year, roughly halfway between what Gov. Terry Branstad proposed and what minority Democrats call an 'absolute minimum.”

Officially, Republicans, who control both the House and Senate, aren't divulging details of their Supplemental School Aid (SSA) plan. However, in weekly newsletters published Thursday, lawmakers said the plan calls for an increase 'right around $40 million,” or 1.1 percent.

'Which considering our budget,” Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, wrote, 'is significant and shows the commitment House Republicans have for Iowa's schools.

He was referring to a shortfall in the budget for the fiscal year ending June 30. The Senate approved a $118 million de-appropriations plan Thursday and the House is expected to follow suit Monday. GOP Gov. Terry Branstad and Republicans lawmakers say the cuts are necessary because tax revenue has not met projections due to a downtown in the state economy.

K-12 school funding is approaching $3.2 billion or 43 percent of the state budget.

Adding to the debate, Sen. Rich Taylor, D-Mount Pleasant, filed a bill Thursday calling for a 4 percent SSA increase in each of the next two years.

'If the Legislature approves anything less than 4 percent and 4 percent, more rural schools will be forced to close and consolidate,” Taylor said. 'That would be devastating for the small towns in my district, and for hundreds of school districts in small towns across Iowa.”

House Minority Leader Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, warned that anything less than a 2 percent increase - $79 million - would result in school staff reductions, larger classroom sizes and higher property taxes. In Marshalltown, he said, the school board raised property taxes 21 cents per $1,000 valuation two years ago and 30 cents last year because SSA wasn't increasing enough to cover expenses.

A survey of school superintendents by legislative Democrats found that if lawmaker approve a SSA increase of 2 percent or less about two-thirds of them will be forced to raise class size, cut teachers and reduce opportunities for students.

Seventy-one percent said they would have to increase class sizes, 61 percent would layoff teachers, 58 percent would reduce class offerings and 65 percent would delay purchases of up-to-date textbooks and classroom materials, according to the survey.

House Education Committee Chairman Walt Rogers, R-Cedar Falls, said Republicans plan to give school boards more flexibility in how they spend their budgets.

'More money is good, but the Number 1 thing I hear from school boards and administrators is they want relief from burdensome regulation, mostly by the Department of Education,” Rogers said. 'They want flexibility.”

The House Appropriations Committee is expected to take up House Study Bill 55 in a subcommittee at noon and in full committee later in the day. A floor vote is expected Feb. 2. Lawmakers want to meet requirement in state law to set the SSA number within 30 days of the beginning of the legislative session. This hasn't been done in recent years when the GOP controlled the House and Democrats were the majority in the Senate.

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