LEE COUNTY - Several school officials are responding to an open letter that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds released on Friday addressing the Students First Act, which is being heavily debated as a top priority with Iowa legislators.
State Rep. Martin Graber released the following statement after a joint statement from the superintendents of the three public school in the county was issued late last week.
"Thank you for your letter of concern. I continue to research carefully and listen to all the points for and against this extremely important issue," Graber wrote in an email to Pen City Current Saturday.
On Friday, the governor submitted the following letter in its entirety:
"A strong education system is foundational to Iowa’s future, which is why school choice continues to be a priority of mine and of families across our great state.
I believe in Iowa’s public schools. Kevin and I are both products of public education. It’s the choice we made for our daughters, and it's the same path they’ve now chosen for their own children. One of our daughters is even a public school teacher.
School choice is not an anti-public-school movement. It’s pro-education, pro-student, and pro-family. And it has the potential to elevate education statewide for every student in Iowa.
As Governor, I’ve increased education funding year over year. In fact, under Republican leadership, it's grown by more than $1 billion since fiscal year 2012. And rightfully so.
Iowa’s education system is a worthy investment. But the time has come to put those dollars to work differently and deliver a bigger return for Iowans. I believe we’ll do exactly that by putting students first.
Opponents argue that public dollars belong to public schools. I see it differently. Every dollar in Iowa’s general fund was earned by hardworking, tax-paying Iowans. It’s their money and it should be used for the good of the people. In the case of education, for the good of all students.
The Students First Act proposes that “per pupil funds” — $7,598 per student next school year — which now cover a portion of the cost to educate public school students exclusively, would also be available for students who choose to attend accredited private schools. Today, that’s about 34,000 students, just six percent of all K-12 students statewide.
The plan would be phased in for private school students, based on household income over the first two years, then available for all families in year three. All incoming kindergarteners and current public school students, regardless of household income, would be eligible starting next school year.
Iowa’s public school districts will continue to receive state funding for the students they educate at the same level they do now. Together with other local, state and federal funds, public schools get more than $17,000 total per student. With the Students First Act, districts will also receive $1,205 in categorical funding for every student who lives in their school district but attends a private school. That’s new money for students they won't even teach.
It also allows public school districts the flexibility to use unspent and ongoing funds for teacher leadership and compensation, professional development, and talent and gifted programs to supplement teacher salaries instead. Today, there’s nearly $100 million in these funds that remains unused, and nearly $250 million is allocated to them annually.
To be clear, the Students First Act will not cut public school funding as opponents of this bill claim. And it won’t result in families fleeing public schools. For most Iowa families, a public education will continue to be their first choice. But for families who otherwise can’t afford a private school that may be a better fit for their children, it makes new opportunities attainable.
We’ve already demonstrated that state-funded school choice works in Iowa. The state's voluntary preschool program for 4-year-olds has been making a difference for Iowa families since 2007, and the Iowa Tuition Grant program makes our private colleges and universities more affordable for Iowa students.
But K-12 students have been left out. It’s time to change that.
Putting students first will help young Iowans reach their potential. And that’s a worthy investment in our future."
LOCAL OFFICIALS REACT
Pen City Current reached out to leaders of the school districts to ask for a response to the Governor's letter.
CENTRAL LEE
Dr. Andy Crozier, Superintendent of Central Lee responded with the following statement:
Lee County Students, Parents, and Community Members;
In my 12 years of serving as a superintendent, I have always stayed keenly aware of proposed legislation at the state level. I have witnessed several unpopular pieces of legislation in which local representatives have had to answer tough questions from their constituents in forums and through other communication channels. Collective bargaining, the gas tax, and the recent income tax breaks were all heavily vetted in our communities. I have never seen the governor write an open letter pleading with Iowans to support her idea.
What does this tell me? Governor Reynolds knows her idea is unpopular with the vast majority of Iowans. Unlike our local representatives, she campaigned on this issue, but she obviously fell well short on private school vouchers being a top priority for rural Iowa. At last week’s public hearing, 75 percent of those speaking and posting public comments were against the voucher bill.
Additionally, there have been hundreds of thousands of dollars come into the state to fund commercials about the school choice bill. These dollars are coming from a hedge fund billionaire in Florida, who would ultimately profit from this school choice scheme through “online charter schools.” These actors from outside the state of Iowa look to influence our decision-making. But Iowans have been very clear—public dollars should go to public schools only.
School vouchers remain unpopular in Lee County because they do not benefit rural communities. The governor proposes spending $1 billion for her school choice program over the next four years. About 90 percent of these dollars will end up in metro Iowa in Polk, Johnson, and Linn counties. Lee, Henry, Van Buren, and most other rural counties will get left behind once again.
The governor’s wealthy donors in Des Moines love this bill because it essentially gives them an additional tax break by allowing them to receive $7,800 per child to continue to send them to private schools. Without any income restrictions like previous school choice proposals, the wrong families will reap the majority of these benefits. These dollars will be lost forever in our state budget, and little will be left over to support rural communities' hospitals, EMS services, and other critical needs.
HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC
HTC Principal Craig Huebner issued the following statement on Monday.
"In response to Governor Renolds' statements and stance on education, I have to agree that we need a robust education system to ensure the future of Iowa.
This future needs to focus on the education of all students in our state. As educators, we all entered the profession to do what is best for our students. I believe the plan the Governor has proposed will establish a quality education for all students no matter the location.
As a person who attended both a public and private school as a child and taught in both the public and private schools, I can see the value in both systems. In the end, our goals are the same: to provide the best education for all students in our system. The proposal from the Governor would allow non-public schools to expand the opportunities for students they work with. It also gives families the opportunity to choose a school setting they feel best fits their child.
Holy Trinity Catholic prides itself on staying on the cutting edge of education. We follow all of the state guidelines, take state tests, report data to the state, and serve students of all needs and economic backgrounds.
The bottom line is that if we want all students in the state of Iowa to have the best education possible, then we need to fund them equally no matter where they attend school."
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