Schools

State Lawmakers Pass Education Funding, With One Day Remaining Before July Deadline

Lawmakers approve budget with 0 percent allowable growth for this year, 2 percent for 2012-2013. They will now attempt to close the legislative session today before the July budget deadline.

DES MOINES — State lawmakers failed to adjourn the 2011 session Wednesday but did reach agreement on the sweeping $2.76 billion “standings” budget bill, which includes money for education and property-tax credits and is normally the last bill of the year.

Senate File 533, approved 26-19 by the Iowa Senate and 56-39 by the Iowa House, includes no growth for school budgets in the upcoming school year, and 2 percent growth for 2012-13. The bill includes about $2.65 billion for K-12 schools, the same as this year. It also includes the $59 million for state-funded preschool, down from the current $70 million.

“Not one new dollar is going to the classroom,” said Sen. Tod Bowman, D-Maquoketa, a teacher. “This budget reduces class choices, increases class size and eliminates opportunities. This budget fails to invest in our children’s future.”

This is the first time that the state is funding schools at 0-percent allowable growth, meaning that schools will not be allowed to increase their budgets in the fall. However, the position is a compromise. Gov. Terry Branstad and House Republicans had initially proposed 0-percent growth for the next two years, while the final bill has 2 percent for 2012-13.

“Republicans and the governor want deeper cuts and thank goodness, we fought back,” Bowman said. “Zero and zero. Really? The bottom line is the budget cuts classroom funding and raises property taxes.”

Rep. Tyler Olson, D-Cedar Rapids, said the budget leaves $284 million in the state's ending balance, and that money is available to fund priorities like education. But Rep. Nick Wagner, R-Marion, the Iowa House floor manager of the bill, called the standings bill a good bill that involved a lot of compromise.

“We didn’t put the taxpayer on the hook for 284 million more dollars,” Wagner said. “I, for one, am not upset that we didn’t put the taxpayer on the hook for that. … We came in; we did what we said we’re going to do. We were fiscally responsible and we put the taxpayers first. We gave them a seat at the table and I, for one, am not upset.”

Wednesday’s actions leave one final bill, the health and human services bill, on lawmakers’ plate when they return Thursday. Disagreement over a proposal by Republicans to further restrict Medicaid-funded abortions has held up agreement on that bill. The proposal would require women to view an ultrasound before having an abortion in cases of rape, incest or fetal abnormalities.

-- By Lynn Campbell

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