Second chance for strong school funding

Schools have been in a tough position for years, grappling with inadequate funding to meet student needs. There still is a chance we can do better for them this year though.

On Monday, I voted to increase school funding by a modest 3 percent for 2020-21. Unfortunately, the proposal was defeated in favor of a spending level that will shortchange our schools by about a third.

When the House took up the bill on Tuesday, however, they agreed the Senate funding level was not enough. Because the two chambers approved different amounts, the Senate will need to vote on SF 2142 again. That means we have another chance to push for the strong investment our students and schools deserve.

I believe we should give our schools an extra boost to take care of critical needs that have been piling up after many lean years. A modest and affordable 3 percent increase in basic school funding would help keep the lights and heat on, make technology improve-ments, replace outdated text-books and maintain manageable class sizes.

This is a matter of priorities.

Busing money will help rural schools

A second funding bill is headed to the Governor for her signature after bipartisan ap-proval in the House and Sen-ate.

SF 2164 provides addition-al funding for schools that are falling behind because their local costs are higher than the state funding they receive. The bill does two things:

First, it gives 195 of Iowa’s 327 school districts an addi-tional $10 per student for the upcoming school year.

Taxpayers in the remaining school districts will get a small property tax decrease.

Second, it builds on last year’s efforts to address the high cost of transporting rural students. An estimated 204 school districts will receive extra funding to help cover busing. This will ensure more dollars make it to the classroom to be spent on educating stu-dents.

This is long overdue. It doesn’t eliminate the inequity in funding among school dis-tricts, but it certainly helps.

Sen. Amanda Ragan (D-Mason City) serves Franklin, Butler and Cerro Gordo counties in Senate District 27. She can be reached at 515-281-3371 or 641-424-0874. Email her at aman-da.ragan@legis.iowa.gov.