In the News

Senate passes school funding bill, 48-1

 By Rod Boshart
 The Gazette
  DES MOINES — Majority Democrats pointed to Thursday’s vote to send Gov. Chet Culver a major K-12 school funding package as evidence they will hold fast on their commitments to improve education at all levels.
  The Iowa Senate voted 481 to approve House File 2140, which boosts the “allowable growth” base budgets for Iowa’s 364 school districts during the 2009-10 school year by 4 percent, or $112.6 million. The House passed the same measure, 97-2, on Wednesday.
  The increase would mean that state funding for each Iowa pupil will increase by $222 to $5,768. Iowa law requires the Legislature to set the rate 18 months in advance so school districts can plan their budgets.
  “Students, parents and teachers can be assured that we will not back away from the promises we made last year,” said House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque.
  For the first time, the allowable growth bill also includes the new preschool foundation aid for school districts, which was approved with bipartisan support last year.
  Minority Republicans tried unsuccessfully to require that the state pay 100 percent of the funding increase, which will boost revenue from property taxes by more than $45 million.
  The bill now goes to Culver, who recommended a 4 percent increase and is expected to sign the bill into law.
  Under the bill, total K-12 state aid would increase to $2.349 billion and local property taxes for schools would grow to $1.6 billion. As many as 200 of Iowa’s 364 public school districts likely would not receive more money because of declining enrollments under the per-pupil formula.
 ¦ Contact the writer: (515) 243-7220 or rod.boshart@gazettecommunications.com

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