Branstad hopes education reform is complete by the end of the week

DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday there's no reason an education reform bill can't be completed by the end of the week.

But lawmakers working on the bill adjourned for the day, without setting up their next conference committee meeting.

“They're looking at our last proposal and want some more time to discuss it,” said Rep. Ron Jorgensen, R-Sioux City, who along with Sen. Herman Qurimbach, D-Ames, co-chairs the 10-member conference committee charged with coming up with a compromise reform bill.

“We'll have to see where we are tomorrow morning,” he said Monday.

As it was left last week, Republicans and Democrats said they could agree to a state funding plan that gives schools 2 percent allowable growing and an additional one-time 2 percent increase for fiscal year 2014. In fiscal year 2015, schools would get a 4 percent increase in allowable growth.

Republicans, however, said that funding level is contingent upon Democrats accepting most of their bill language, including provisions on teacher evaluations and home schooling.

“We need to make sure we have education reform and accountability in addition to the additional 4 percent of state aid that is included in this package,” Branstad said. “I'm very hopeful this week we can get education reform resolved, and if we get education reform resolved this week, we can, hopefully, get also to work this week and get property tax resolved.”

Monday afternoon, Senate Democratic staff posted a news release, saying that although there are “good ideas” in the Republican plan, Democrats couldn't accept all the language.

“One thing that we can't agree with is the Republican refusal to approve any increase school funding for our schools unless all of their education reform ideas are approved,” the release said. “We've seen several years of limited dollars for our schools. We do not support shortchanging local education when the state's budget surplus is more than $800 million - and that's after filling our reserve and rainy day funds.”