Iowans deserve a realistic aid debate

Iowans deserve an honest debate over how best to fund public school districts. We didn't get one in the Iowa House this week.

Majority Republicans pushed through legislation that would increase basic state aid to K-12 districts by 1.25 percent, or $44 million, in the 2016 budget year that starts July 1, and by 2.5 percent in 2017.

Minority Democrats insisted that school aid should be increased by 6 percent in both budget years, matching the amount proposed by several education organizations. The bill now heads to the Senate.

Truth is, neither bid is realistic. House Republicans who portrayed their plan as fiscally responsible for the state neglected to mention how fiscally damaging it would be for local school districts. It bears no resemblance to the actual cost increases schools face, including negotiated salary increases that generally far exceed 1.25 percent.

In Cedar Rapids, school officials say they need a 3.5 percent increase in state aid just to maintain the status quo. At 1.25 percent, Superintendent Dave Benson says the district will need to trim its budget by $2.5 million. And because the biggest chunk of the district's budget is personnel, that means sliced or unfilled teaching positions.

Republicans and Gov. Terry Branstad insist the full picture of school funding must include $50 million for the new teacher leadership and compensation program and assorted other funding buckets. Trouble is, state law limits how those dollars are spent, so they have little or no affect on districts' struggles with operating expenses.

And the governor's quest for world class schools seems to be directly at odds with his plan to provide so little state aid that schools lack the resources to transform and innovate.

But the state can't afford 6 percent. For one thing, lawmakers are building a 2016 budget based on a projected 4.9 percent increase in state revenue, and much of that new money is already committed to backfill commercial property tax cuts and other ongoing programs. The 6 percent proposal ignores those hard fiscal facts.

We understand how the political dance surrounding school funding works. Republicans shoot low, Democrats shoot high and we end up in the middle. But a change in tune would be welcome. How about setting a funding level that balances the true needs of our schools with an honest assessment of resources. Leave the rhetoric on the campaign trail.

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