Iowa legislators prepare to move on setting new K-12 education funding

DES MOINES — Against the backdrop of debates over billions of dollars being planned for state tax cuts for Iowa workers and businesses, lawmakers are now beginning their work on setting state funding for K-12 public schools for the next school year.

All legislative parties have planted their flags: GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds and House Republicans have proposed increasing general state funding to K-12 schools by 2.5 percent; Senate Republicans have proposed a 2.25 percent increase; and statehouse Democrats have proposed a 5 percent increase.

Republicans have majorities in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature to go with a Republican in the governor’s office, giving them complete control of the state lawmaking process.

Pat Grassley, the House speaker from New Hartford, on Thursday discussed the House Republican school funding proposal and noted it includes a one-time appropriation of $19 million for schools to hire support staff.

“Whatever we do in the House, it’s going to be sustainable. And it’s going to make sure we can follow through with that commitment,” Grassley said.

Grassley said he hopes the House Republican bill will begin working through the legislative process next week. On Thursday, Senate Republicans advanced their proposal through the education committee, making it eligible for floor debate next week.

During Thursday’s committee hearing, Senate Democrats criticized a funding level that they said is inadequate for school districts’ needs, especially at a time with high inflation.

“With this bill we have reached a new low in our prioritization for education,” said Sen. Herman Quirmbach, the top Democrat on the Senate Education Committee and a professor at Iowa State University.

The 5 percent increase Democrats propose equates to $300 million in new funding, they say. Democratic statehouse leaders have framed their proposal around Reynolds’ corporate income tax proposal, which would decrease state revenues by roughly $300 million over five years if approved.

“That’s a better investment in the state’s future than the Republican plan for another $300 million giveaway to corporations,” said Zach Wahls, leader of the minority Senate Democrats from Coralville.

Historically, general state funding to K-12 schools increased an average of 5 percent annually over the first 38 years under the current funding formula, according to data from the state’s nonpartisan fiscal analysis agency. Since 2011, when Republicans regained at least a portion of control over the lawmaking process, that average annual K-12 funding increase has been 1.9 percent.

Republican statehouse leaders have proposed myriad tax policy plans that would eventually reduce state revenues roughly in the neighborhood of $2 billion.

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