A brighter Iowa future starts with good schools

As we recover from the recession, giving our kids the best education possible is important. That's the only way our children and our communities can compete for the jobs of the future.

Now is certainly not the time to cut off any new state support for our local schools. We won't help students learn by firing teachers, making classes more crowded and eliminating courses.

Education leaders say a 2 percent increase is what's needed. That would cost roughly

$65 million.

Thanks to Iowa's growing economy, we can afford it. The state's reserve funds are full at $600 million. Moreover, an additional $300 million is expected to be left over at the end of this fiscal year.

Now it's time for legislative Republicans and Gov. Terry Branstad to stand up for Iowa's public schools. Locking schools into a two-year starvation budget hurts Iowa students and will hurt the Iowa economy.

The schools most Iowans attended, the schools most of our children and grandchildren currently attend, are in deep trouble. If you are worried about our local schools, please contact your Republican legislators and Gov. Branstad as soon as possible.

State Sen. Brian Schoenjahn

Chair, Senate Education Budget Subcommittee,

Retired teacher