House Republicans passed a Supplemental State Aid (SSA) increase for schools of 2.4% for FY22 for both the Regular Program and the Categorical Supplements. It also extends the Property Tax Relief Payment (PTRP) an additional year which has the state pick up any property tax growth in the Additional Levy portion of the school funding formula.
The State Cost Per Pupil (SCPP) amount on which the school aid formula is based increases from $7,048 to $7,217, a $169 increase. However, this amount will increase to $7,227 because this bill includes a $10 State Cost Per Pupil increase to narrow the District Cost Per Pupil (DCPP) gap. This also continues to address transportation equity which is raised at the same rate as SSA.
The percentage is on par with what has been done in recent years, but the fact of the matter is enrollment was down by about 7,000 students. Contrary to fake narratives peddled by left-wing activists and legislative Democrats, public school funding is not cut under this proposal. This is a 2.4% increase. Since 2011, House Republicans have prioritized students and schools with continuous increases for Supplemental State Aid, transportation equity, and adding an additional ten dollars per student to address equity issues.
Cost of Inflation
The chart below debunks the claim that the funding increases approved by Republicans have not kept up with inflation.
Ames School District Leaders Will Testify on Black Lives Matter Curriculum
Ames Community School District leaders, including the Superintendent Dr. Jenny Risner and Director of Equity Dr. Anthony Jones, have been invited to discuss the school district’s controversial curriculum presented during Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action which occurred Feb. 1-5. They will appear before the committee on Feb. 23.
The Ames school district gained national attention for its required week-long curriculum. Local parents, students and residents contacted Republican legislators regarding their fear that any publicly expressed questions or concerns to the curriculum would result in the child being targeted and charges of racism. Parents are further concerned about political and cultural indoctrination into the values BLM organizers and demonstrators espouse such as defunding the police.
The school district’s website contains links to information which will likely be discussed during the committee hearing: https://www.ames.k12.ia.us/2021/01/black-lives-matter-at-school-week-of-action-february-1-5-2021/
Among those links is following information:
- The Black Lives Matter at School Guiding Principles are 13 principles describing the BLM movement. Each principle is displayed on the website including one which says “We are committed to disrupting the Western prescribed nuclear family structure…”
- The Black Lives Matter at School National 2020 Voter Toolkit, also featured on the website, includes overt left-wing political messages such as defining Voter ID requirements as part of “the long history of voter suppression in this country.”
- The National Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action Starter Kit contains information detailing BLM’s national demands. Those demands include strategies on how to infuse BLM’s 13 guiding principles into math and science curriculum. For example, the Starter Kit suggests that math teachers “use numbers and maps to look at the impacts of housing discrimination, low minimum wage, and the school to prison pipeline.” The Starter Kit suggests science teachers ask their students about health care and take time out of their class to talk about how they are feeling about the world around them.
