The Iowa Senate has pushed forward its proposed funding increase for the state’s K-12 schools.
The bill (SSB 3100), advanced by a Senate subcommittee Tuesday, would increase per student state funding by 1.75%. That would continue a decline in the annual increase approved by the Iowa Legislature.
Melissa Peterson, a lobbyist with the Iowa State Education Association, the state’s largest union for educators, spoke against the bill.
“I think it's really important that we acknowledge what happens when school districts are inadequately funded,” Peterson said. “It means our class sizes grow. It means we have fewer staff positions, it means we have program reductions. It means we have older material.”
The Senate bill would amount to state funding of around $8,100 per student, which would also apply to charter schools and education savings accounts used by students at private schools.
The governor has suggested a 2% increase that would provide an additional $15 per student.
Lawmakers have a self-imposed deadline of Feb. 12 to agree on a school funding plan.