Reynolds takes aim at AEAs

Gov. Kim Reynolds said this week the plans a “comprehensive review” of the state’s nine Area Education Agencies.

“Iowa’s Area Education Agencies were created 50 years ago to address the needs of students with disabilities, but over the years, they’ve significantly expanded their scope of services beyond the core mission,” Reynolds said in an email to the N’West Iowa REVIEW on Monday.

Given Reynolds record of assailing public schools to build support for giving publicly funded private school scholarships to Iowa families, her plan for altering AEAs, which serve both public and accredited private schools, should give pause to all Iowans with kids in school. It’s difficult, at this point, to know whether the Reynolds administration will make helpful adjustments to AEA operation or shutter the regional agencies.

“Still a lot of uncertainty in the state when it comes to the legislative session and what is going to be next on the agenda,” South O’Brien Superintendent Wade Riley told the REVIEW. “This may be just a rumor, but I’ve heard it multiple times that they’re looking at maybe cutting AEAs completely.”

Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Pella and chair of the Senate Education Committee, says rumors of closures are “not accurate,” according to reporting by The Gazette’s Grace King, Tom Barton and Erin Murphy. But Rozenboom echoes to governor’s rhetoric.

“My perception is that AEAs are administratively heavy and performance light,” Rozenboom said, pointing to proficiency gaps for students with disabilities. “We need to refocus and direct our efforts to providing education needs for the education of special needs children, which is extremely important.”

Seventy percent of AEA funding pays for services that support special education services. The agencies also provide school psychologists and mental health resources to the schools as well as literacy support services. Spending on administrative costs is capped at 5 percent.

AEAs have already consolidated from 15 regional offices to nine. They’ve also dealt with tens of millions of dollars in budget cuts. So operations have already been streamlined.

The governor’s stated goal is to improve outcomes for disabled students, which is a laudable goal. Our concern is how she gets there. Wade Riley, the South O’Brien superintendent, worries that if AEAs close or cut positions, specialists will be looking for jobs in individual school districts. But his district, he contends, can’t win a bidding war with nearby public schools.

There are also private schools now receiving taxpayer funded scholarships what may or may not currently have special education programs.

The great thing about AEAs is they allow school districts to share resources, so the burden of costly programs and technology is shared. It’s the sort of regional cooperation the state should be encouraging. Cuts would be a setback for public education.

We hope Reynolds will sustain AEAs and improve the services they offer. In any event, we’ll be watching.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com