More Money, More Problems
The Iowa House yesterday passed a bill authorizing public school funding to increase next academic year by 3 percent. It was immediately signed by the Governor.
The state’s direct general funding for public schools is now at more than $7,500 per student.
Democrats wanted literally double the amount that was approved, noting inflation. Republicans pointed out that they’ve increased education funding every year since they’ve held a majority in the legislature, and that the last time schools got less money was…wait for it…when Democrats had the majority. That was tied to a Democrat governor ordering across the board budget cuts during down times in the early part of this century.
The legislature is actually being more generous than the governor…she only proposed a 2.5 percent increase in per pupil K-12 public school funding for the next year.
But one of the keys to getting this hammered out early…and it’s by design, born from painful past experiences of late decisions…is that public schools can now know what they’re going to get so they can do their budgets in a timely fashion. And no one thought the number would be that much different from the governor’s proposal…and certainly not the high figure floated by Democrats.
So one more potential battle is resolved, adding to the number of relatively major bills already in the rear view mirror for the 2023 Iowa legislature. That either means they keep pushing forward and adjourn in good time…or with spare time on their hands, new issues will crop up to complicate our lives. Let’s hope for the former.
