Republicans in the Iowa Senate are proposing a 2% increase in state per pupil funding for pubic schools, the same level Governor Reynolds proposed last month.
Under the plan, the state’s general level of support would be about $7900 per student — and the parents of private school students who’ve signed up for state tuition assistance would get that amount, too. According to Senate President Amy Sinclair, the goal is to get the plan enacted by late next week.
“We believe that we should do timely funding of our school districts so that they know what numbers they’re working with, so they can finish their budgets on time,” Sinclair said during an appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS this weekend.
School districts must hold public hearings on budget plans and school boards must adopt a budget for the next academic year by April 30. Republicans in the Iowa House, led by Speaker Pat Grassley, have not released a proposal on per pupil funding for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
“We’re waiting to see whether the Senate can get us that bill,” Grassley told reporters late last week. “Right now our conversations are looking at what additional things we may have interest in.”
Grassley suggested House Republicans may propose additional state funding for rural school districts with long bus routes. Democrats say schools should get a five percent boost in per pupil spending. Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner said due to the state’s per pupil funding formula, schools with declining enrollment will take a hit under the GOP plans.
“Governor Reynolds and Republican lawmakers have proposed a school funding number that would force many Iowa schools into significant budget cuts,” she said, “resulting in fully half of our school districts getting less funding…a first that we do not want to have.”
Democrats say schools need a 5% increase in per pupil funding. Weiner indicated that would be a $315 million increase — the same amount the state sent this year to the Education Savings Accounts for private school students.