The 91st General Assembly is continuing strong in Des Moines. This week, Iowa House Republicans kept and delivered on our promise to pass Supplemental State Aid (SSA) for Iowa schools. SSA is an important piece of legislation that provides support and investments to young Iowans for all community school districts. The main purpose of SSA is to provide an increase in funding from the previous year for Iowa K-12 schools on top of the education budget passed at the end of session. The Legislature is required to pass SSA 30 days after the Governor introduces her budget proposal.
This year, Iowa House Republicans have introduced legislation to increase SSA by 2.25%. The 2.25% increase, along with the second phase of teacher salary increase also included in the bill, equates to over $114 million of new funds for public schools across the state.
When looking at education funding, it is important to look at all facets of the legislation to ensure smaller school districts, like West Harrison Community School District, have proportional funding to larger districts, like Lewis Central Community School District, that fits their individual needs. While an increase in 2.25% provides an increase in funding across all districts, House Republicans have proposed additional appropriations to help districts regardless of population or land-area covered:
- A one-time increase of 0.6% SSA payment, providing $22.6 million more for schools
- A $10 increase in Per Pupil Equity, which equates to a $5.8 million increase
- An increase in Operational Sharing Budget from 21 to 25, providing an additional $1 million to schools
- Increase School Transportation to cap the cost of transportation for each school district at the statewide average of $430, resulting in and additional $5.8 million in funds
Overall, the increase in SSA and additional funding equates to a 3.93% increase in state funding to public schools. In the last Fiscal Year, we allocated $3,787,600,000 to public education. This proposal would allocate $3,936,800,000 for the coming Fiscal Year. Education funding including SSA, State Universities, Community Colleges and Education Savings Accounts, make up over 54% of the entire state budget.
Republicans in the statehouse are proud of our responsible and consistent increases in the education budget. K-12 funding has increased by over a billion dollars the past 14 years and has not been cut since 2010, when Democrats last held the majority in the Iowa House.
Republicans in the Iowa House are working to respond to specific concerns we are hearing from our schools in a responsible matter. I appreciate all constituents from Iowa House District 15 that have reached out for this matter.
CUT THEIR FUNDING there are SO MANY WASTEFUL programs going on in the schools already. The schools are spending so much on SOCIAL EMOTIONS AND EQUITY AND EQUALITY that it’s unbelievable reallocate that money. The schools are spending so much on analyzing the psyche of our kids that it’s unbelievable.
More money will solve all the education problems. Forget the Word of God and the fear of God – teach the kids they are an animal and they can do what they want without consequences.
Forget teaching true American history and corporal punishment and sexual purity.
Having no heroes to emulate, no laws to be obeyed, and no solid relationships to be nurtured will surely be offset by giving schools more money.
It must be stated that our churches, for the most part, have failed miserably at proclaiming truth. All sugar makes one sick, fat, and weak.