Iowa not following through on funding plan for at-risk students

DES MOINES - Among the many features of landmark education reform passed in Iowa in 2013 was $10 million in annual funding for schools with high populations of at-risk students.

The money was to be used for programs designed to help students who come from families in poverty or for whom English is their second language. Studies have shown those students have a harder time learning and achieving at the same rate as their classmates.

So when state lawmakers and the governor crafted the 2013 education reform package, they included that $10 million in annual funding to help those students.

The money has never been delivered.

General public school funding over the past few years has become a contentious issue among Iowa state lawmakers. Democrats have decried state funding levels for education, saying districts need more to sustain staff and education programs, while Republicans have preached fiscal restraint, saying the state's budget cannot afford Democrats' wishes.

That heated school funding debate has left few state dollars for targeted funding, including the $10 million intended for high-needs schools and at-risk students. As a result, three years later the program remains unfunded.

‘Lots of needs'

'As a practical matter, we've never had the money to fund it,” said state Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, an associate professor of economics at Iowa State University.

Quirmbach is a vocal advocate for education policy and funding in the Legislature. In 2013, he pushed for inclusion of the $10 million funding for high-needs schools, and in recent years, he has proposed legislation to add more funding for at-risk students by tweaking the state's general school funding formula.

'There are lots of needs in lots of districts,” Quirmbach said. 'With the right kind of assistance, these kinds of kids are going to do great. ... But they need some help getting going.”

The annual $10 million would support programs such as extended learning time or boost staff by allowing districts to hire more instructional support, provide additional training or supplement teacher salaries in high-need schools, according to a report from the state's nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.

The state Department of Education said it has not yet developed guidelines that would determine which schools would receive funding, should the program ever be funded.

But officials said the most likely recipients would be schools with relatively high percentages of students who are English language learners or those who receive free or reduced-price lunches, which is the metric by which school officials make their best estimate as to how many students come from families in poverty.

'The more we can do for (those students), the better,” said Brad Hudson, government relations specialist for the Iowa State Education Association. 'They need different services than the other kids do.”

Boosting support

The Sioux City Community School District is among the state's top 10 districts in both categories, with 17.5 percent of its students classified as 'limited English proficiency” and roughly two-thirds on free or reduced-price lunches.

Paul Gausman, the Sioux City district's superintendent, said the high-needs program funding would help the district provide, as possible examples, additional mentoring and tutoring or programs that address dropout prevention, chronic absenteeism and remediation.

'Some of the resources that some people not in poverty enjoy,” Gausman said. 'Poverty is really the driver. So the things we can do educationally to address poverty are the things that we can do to move education forward. ...

'Back in 2013, we were certainly supportive of the education reform but also of this greater investment in high-need schools. There have been models in our nation that have shown when you invest in schools with higher-need education, you show positive gains.”

Quirmbach said his primary focus is improving general state education funding, then, if the state budget allows, boosting financial support for targeted programs such as the high-need schools funding.

'One of my principles is trying to do the greatest good for the greatest number,” he said.

Gausman said he understands state officials must make difficult budget decisions, but he hopes at some point the program can be funded as originally intended three years ago.

'We still look forward to the day when they feel they have the funding to provide supports to those students who have greater needs,” he said.