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The Senate Republicans' Education funding plan is out. It’s the same slow starving of our public schools now aggravated by a pandemic--and with a vindictive new twist! 1/9
Again the proposed 2.2% increase does not meet inflation. In a world where everything else gets more expensive every year, this means larger class sizes, more cuts to staff and programs. 2/9
Over the past 4 years, IF we had funded schools at the rate of inflation, it would have meant an additional $294.7 mill. for our children’s education. Instead, we have $305 mill. dollar state budget surplus. Our kids' futures provided the vast majority of those hoarded funds. 3/9
State aid is based on a per student count from the previous year. A global pandemic in 2020 meant a huge drop in enrollments of kindergarteners and preschoolers as many parents kept them home. When these children come back in 2021, their per student funding won’t. 4/9
Did you know underfunding our public schools increases your property taxes? Under this plan 141 Iowa districts will receive less funding in 2021 than they did the in 2020. This kicks in a provision called the “budget guarantee.” 5/9
The Schools will be guaranteed the same amount of money for the following year (plus 1%), but the source to make up the difference is your local property taxes. Preschools do not have a budget guarantee, so they will be operating with a significantly reduced budget. 6/9
And finally, the vindictive part. There are some additional one-time funds offered for public schools. Public schools were already in a tight spot before COVID meant increased expenses for reinventing education and trying to keep their communities safe. 7/9
But language of this proposal means that these funds are available for everyone but the Des Moines Public Schools. While it seeks punish decision-makers that disagreed with the Governor over return to learn plans, what it does is hurt the thousands of kids who attend DMPS. 8/9
Don’t let them short change Iowa's future by defunding public education. Contact every Republican Senator today: http://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators 9/9
