Iowa legislators agree on education spending, reform still in question

DES MOINES - Bipartisan negotiators agreed Wednesday to spend $897.7 million on public education next year, but question marks remain on key proposals related to education reform.

The education appropriations bill covers spending for the department of education, the state's three public universities, its special schools and a host of other programs.

State aid for students, also known as allowable growth, is not included in this legislation. That percentage has been a key negotiating point among lawmakers who are embroiled in negotiations over the reform package.

What the appropriations bill does include, however, is new money for job training and new economic development programs based at the state's universities paid for by gaming revenue.

“We have 300,000 people in the state of Iowa without a high school diploma or equivalency. That's an enormous under-utilization of resources,” said Sen. Brian Schoenjahn, D-Arlington, co-chairman of the education appropriations subcommittee. “If we can get these people a diploma and then put them on the pathway to accelerated career education … we can move these people from welfare to work.”

In several cases where there was disagreement the conferees took the middle route.

For example, the Senate version of the bill included a $300,000 increase for the Department of the Blind while the House had no increase in funding for the department's roughly $2 million annual budget. The final bill added $150,000 for the department.

“We split the difference on a lot of things,” said Rep. Cecil Dolecheck, R-Mount Ayr, the Republican co-chairman. “There are no surprises here.”

The bill still has to be heard on the floor and, if it is approved, would go on to the governor for a signature.