It’s a nice gesture, but it isn’t the solution. That was the message delivered by education advocates Monday afternoon during a subcommittee hearing on Senate File 2009.
The bill would create Teacher Spending Accounts and require a portion of the school foundation state aid to be used to fund such accounts. Beginning full-time teachers would receive $500 while other full-time teachers would receive $200 for qualifying classroom materials.
It is estimated the proposal would cost $8 million.
Republican State Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen filed the bill and said teachers have asked for help setting up their classrooms at the beginning of each school year. This bill attempts to create a funding stream to help with those efforts.
Democrat State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott expressed concern that this isn’t new money and is simply asking schools to cut funding elsewhere to help provide these accounts to teachers.
The education lobby was mostly undecided on the bill, but said they were concerned about taking money from those funds that are often strapped already.
Melissa Peterson with the Iowa State Education Association said the organization appreciates the conversation, but wants to see the funds given as a new appropriation.
Jim Obradovich requested the legislature to include other school employees such as nurses, psychologists, social workers and counselors as the bill currently limits the accounts to classroom teachers.
Margaret Buckton of the Urban Education Network of Iowa and the Rural School Advocates of Iowa said she is appreciative of the intent, but not all classroom material needs are equal and she would prefer the legislature not “invade” local control. Buckton suggested ending other tax credits now that Education Savings Accounts exist to help cover the cost of the accounts.
Nathan Arnold with Professional Educators of Iowa is registered in support of the bill, calling it a “step in the right direction.” However, he too acknowledged funding concerns.
“It doesn’t add sand to the sand box it just moves it around,” Arnold said.
Trone Garriott said if the legislature really cares about the issue and truly desires to help, the best way to do so is to create a new appropriation.
Republican State Sen. Lynn Evans said he spent the majority of his career developing school budgets and noted budget decisions were always based on district goals to improve student achievement.
“Schools are going to budget differently based on the school’s needs, student needs and school board expectations,” Evans said. “This tends to mandate how they’re going to develop their budgets.”
Evans said he doesn’t disagree that teachers need more financial support, but would prefer to see further discussion.
Both Evans and Gruenhagen signed the bill through subcommittee recommending an amendment.
