From Sen. Zach Nunn’s newsletter:
The Iowa Senate just passed $4.8 billion for property tax relief and $19 billion for school safety, technology, and infrastructure. The program is called Securing an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE). The road map we’ve laid out with bipartisan support does a few things. First, it makes sure schools are clear about what this funding is for — to keep buildings safe, modern, and structurally sound. Just like anyone with kids in public school, I want my children to enjoy a safe learning environment equipped with the technology they need to get a 21st century skill-set. SAVE will help make that happen.
Second, SAVE respects the property owner and taxpayer. The $4.8 billion in funding to reduce property taxes is a serious commitment to respecting property owners. The clear spending guidelines in SAVE— safety, technology, infrastructure— will also make sure schools are held accountable to putting funds where they’re most needed. There are a couple school districts in the state of Iowa where they built colossal stadiums, and then they’re the first ones to raise their hand and say, ‘I don’t have any money to fix the roof this year.’ SAVE puts a check on that to make sure safety, technology, and infrastructure are put first.
Finally, SAVE opens up opportunities to kids in every corner of the state. The reality is that today, schools are continuing to innovate how we teach classes. If you’re in shop class now, you might go across town and go to a state of the art shop where you’re actually using a 3D printer or CAD machine. Or if you’re a STEM student, you might be working on computer programming in a new technology lab. Rural schools might not have those options, but through partnership, through infrastructure, they’re now going to have a long term opportunity to bring in some of the best technology into the classroom and return it back to our community.
That’s really what this is all about — an investment into where we see our kids and communities ten, twenty years from now. 20 percent of this money doesn’t even come from Iowans, because people from out of state pay into it. But 100 percent of it gets directly invested back in our communities in the form of safer classrooms, better schools, smarter kids, and lower property taxes.
