DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature pushed ahead Monday with a plan to approve a final vote on a K-12 education spending bill, despite criticism by school officials that it will result in larger classroom sizes and other district-level cuts, like teacher layoffs.
Several people gathered at the Capitol for a public hearing on the legislation, which would add about $40 million to a roughly $3 billion education budget that’s slated to go into effect in July. That means $73 would be added to what’s spent on each Iowa student, which is currently just less than $6,600.
The Republican-led House was scheduled to vote on the bill late Monday, and party leaders support it. The GOP-majority Senate voted for the legislation Thursday.
Dozens registered to testify in opposition to the bill ahead of the public hearing, while only a handful signed up in support. Near the Capitol rotunda, people waited in line to testify and were given three minutes to speak.
Perla Alarcon-Flory, a school board member at Sioux City Community School District, said she traveled three hours to advocate on behalf of 14,500 students. She said inadequate school funding will particularly hurt students in her district with intellectual disabilities and those learning English.
“We have gotten to the point that in the next five years, we’re going to have to eliminate 250 full-time positions in order to make ends meet,” she said.
Republican leaders said the $40 million sum is all the Legislature can responsibly support as the state faces budget constraints. Republican Rep. Walt Rogers, chair of the House Education Committee, said the state has continued to prioritize education spending over several years.
That’s not good enough for Gary Anhalt, a Cedar Rapids School District board member. He testified about pilot programs that may be slashed in his school district, as well as outdated textbooks and staff cuts.
“I know that we can do better here,” he said. “At $40 million we are only spending about 50 cents per day on each of our students, far less than a cup of coffee per day, and you claim that education is your priority?”
Republican Gov. Terry Branstad recommended last month for Iowa to spend more on K-12 education. He included about $78 million more for schools in his budget plan. Democrats, who have little legislative power following the Nov. 8 election, have highlighted their opposition to the Republican bill by trying to showcase how the target comes in below Branstad’s proposal.
On Monday, the governor declined to comment on whether he would sign the GOP plan into law. He instead focused on applauding lawmakers for addressing the legislation sooner rather than later. Education funding has become a contentious issue in recent years, and the timeline for setting funding has been unpredictable.
Maddie Johnson, 17, is a high school senior in Des Moines. She said it’s hard to expect students to learn when there aren’t seats for them, which is a common scenario at her school, according to her. She also said the facility doesn’t have working air conditioning.
Johnson said she wants the Legislature to understand that a lack of education funding impacts everyone, including Iowa lawmakers.
“If they don’t invest in young people right now, there is not going to be smarter, older people in the future,” she said. “There aren’t going to be people qualified to take their positions later on.”
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