While public school funding lags, students in poverty suffer most

The Gazette recently published an article with a headline stating in part “CR schools lagging.” A better headline would be: “Iowa’s elected leaders failing public schools.”

A dive into “lagging” schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District gives one reason these schools are listed as “priority.“ The U.S. Department of Education presented a 2019 study which stated “Poverty has become one of the most prevalent indicators of academic achievement in our schools today.”

Free and Reduced Priced Lunch (FRPL) is a federally funded program providing eligible low-income students with free or reduced-price lunches. The FRPL population for the entire CRSCD is 37%. However, for schools in the “priority” category the FRPL average is 59% with 8 of the schools over 60% and 3 over 70%!

The state cost per pupil for public schools approved by the Iowa Legislature and Governor has lagged inflation by almost half over the last 8 years. Also the $200 million school voucher program backed by the governor and Legislature deals Iowa’s 483,000 public school students another blow by spending public tax dollars for private and religious schools.

Public tax dollars should be spent on public schools, not private and religious schools! A better use for this $200 million would be offering all day, every day preschool starting at age 3 giving all students an equal footing and a greater chance of success as they start their K-12 education. Public schools should be prioritized, not penalized!

Ron Olson

Former Director and President, CRCSD Board