Republican legislative leaders plan to extend 25 million dollars to up toone-hundred-12 “cash poor” Iowa schools for fire safety repairs over thenext five years. House Republican Leader Christopher Rants of Sioux Citysays about 150-thousand kids are enrolled in those schools — many of whichare unsafe.Governor Vilsack wants 100-million dollars for school improvements, butRants says it’s a better idea to target the money to the neediest districts.House Speaker Brent Siegrist, a republican from Council Bluffs,says the G-O-P wants to help districts who have such low property valuesthey can’t raise enough money to finance school repairs.To get the school repair grants, schools would have to submit a request tothe Department of Education. The following schools MAY be eligible for the25-million for infrastructure improvements — this is a preliminary list asschools which get local option sales tax dollars will NOT be eble: WestBranch, Elk Horn/Kimballton, Postville, Tripoli, Guttenberg, Stanton,Washington, Sumner, Waverly-Shell Rock, Fredericksburg, Storm Lake, CharlesCity, Maquoketa Valley, West Liberty, Keokuk, East Central, Bellevue,Janesville, Oskaloosa, South Page, Baxter, Mormon Trail, Tri-County, Sac,Highland, Muscatin, Harlan, Jesup, Mount Pleasant, Sioux City (for exampleit will be taken off the list as Woodbury County has local option salestax), Allamakee, Newton, Cherokee, Woodward-Granger, Earlham, Cardinal,Nashua-Plainfield, Andrew, Atlantic, Clearfield, Tipton, Starmont, WapsieValley, Garner-Hayfield, Preston, North Fayette, Twin Cedars, Independence,Valley, Boyver Valley, Estherville/Lincoln Center, Davis County, New Market,Fox Valley, Moaravia, Wayne, Council Bluffs, Anamosa, Clinton, MissouriValley, West Delaware County, Central Clayton, Mount Ayr, Denison, Seymour,Denver, Edgewood/Colesburg, Woodbine, Parkersburg, Maquoketa, Ottumwa,Wapello, Moulton/Udell, Clarksville, Adel/DeSoto/Minburn, Pleasantville,Logan/Magnolia, Colfax/Mingo, MFL/Mar/Mac, Van Burean, Winterset, Clarke,Lenox, Sigourney, Dallas Center/Grimes, Russell, Vinton/Shellsburg,Knoxville, Boone, South Tama, Interstate-35, Oelwein, Centerville, Columbus,Albia, New London, Morning Sun, Madred, Forest City, Murray, Chariton,Perry, Central Decatur, Glenwood, Bedford, Belle Plaine, Southeast Warren,Lamoni, Indianola, Martensdale/St. Mary’s, Harmony, Melcher/Dallas,Carlisle, Norwalk.
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