Iowa Senate Democrats seek 4 percent yearly boost in school funding

DES MOINES - Majority Democrats who control the Iowa Senate on Tuesday announced they will seek a 4 percent boost in state supplemental aid for Iowa's 338 K-12 school districts for each of the next two school years.

'Iowa's future depends on high-quality local schools,” said Senate President Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque. 'That's why we support a plan that is a serious, meaningful step forward for Iowa schools.”

The Senate's 4 percent position sets up the first round of state budget negotiations with majority House Republicans, who last month approved boosts in basic state aid for schools of 1.25 percent for fiscal 2016 and a 2.45 percent increase for the following school year.

The GOP proposals mirrored the K-12 funding levels Gov. Terry Branstad included in his two-year budget plan, saying education would get half of the roughly $200 million in new revenue available in the fiscal 2016 budget. Democrats project the state general fund has $337.5 million in new revenues, a 4.9 percent increase that does not count the surplus.

Under the GOP approach, current state per-pupil funding of $6,366 would grow by $80 in fiscal 2016 and another $158 in fiscal 2017.

Democrats' proposed 4 percent increase would require an additional $212 million (including about $50 million for teacher leadership) in state aid for public schools and boost per-pupil funding to $6,621 for the 2015-16 academic year. A similar 4 percent increase the following school year would raise per-pupil state spending to $6,886 and cost the general fund $199 million, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said his members got the message from parents, students, educators and other concerned Iowans in recent weeks that the House-approved funding levels are not enough to keep up with the costs of providing high-quality education in Iowa classrooms. In fact, he said, school superintendents say their schools are facing larger class sizes, fewer course offerings, outdated materials, and staff layoffs.

'Our plan would reverse Iowa's slide downwards when you compare us to other states in terms of per student investment,” Gronstal said in a statement.

'We are now 35th and falling. Other states are investing more and achieving better results that Iowa. We must do better,” he added. 'We don't want to continue to decline and we don't want to stand still. We think as a goal we ought to get to the national average in terms of support for K-12 education.”

House Republicans argue that state education funding has been dramatically increased over the past five years and they have set funding numbers that reflect current budget realities and past spending commitments that they want to fulfill without raising taxes.

Jochum countered that the House-passed version would also raise property taxes on many Iowans, while shortchanging Iowa students. However, House Republicans refuted that claim, noting the bill passed last week included $5.6 million in property tax replacement to cover the 12.5 percent of the school foundation aid formula that is comes from local property tax levies.

'The House's party-line vote for 1.25 percent was really a vote to continue Iowa's slide even further downwards in terms of per student investment and student achievement,” she said in a statement.

Last year Senate Democrats passed a 6 percent boost in K-12 schools for fiscal 2016 and some members wanted to stick with that funding level again this session.

Under current Iowa law, the Legislature has until Feb. 12 to set state school aid funding levels through fiscal 2017 - which would be 30 days after the governor submitted his budget plan with his Condition of the State message. However, Branstad and legislative Republicans want to change the forward-funding law this year, but legislative Democrats are resisting that move.