The Rozenboom Report by Senator Ken Rozenboom

One of the highest profile news items in this third week of the legislative session is the release of the Senate Republican education funding proposal for the next fiscal year so our K-12 schools can start on their budgeting process. As always, we are guided by our goal to promise what we can deliver, and deliver what we promise. We also continue to work to equalize transportation and per pupil costs.

SSB 3096 increases Supplemental State Aid (SSA) by $75.7 million over last year’s level, and SSB 3097 provides approximately $7.7 additional funding for transportation equity and funding to equalize state funding per student. This brings our total transportation equity spending up to more than $26 million per year. This means those schools that have higher than average transportation costs can spend their state education dollars in the classroom rather than on just getting our children to and from school. And SSB 3080 puts $2.5 million new spending into placement options for students with serious behavioral problems.

In total, these three bills provide $91.7 million in new spending for K-12 education, representing nearly 43 percent of our overall state budget. When federal and local dollars are included, the average money spent per student in Iowa is more than $15,000. Importantly, every dollar we have promised to K-12 schools over the last three years has been delivered, and this proposal is no exception. The total increase in K-12 education funding since FY 17 is over $300 million per year, including $26.6 million specifically for transportation equity.

Education funding is typically the biggest policy issue tackled in the first weeks of session, and we are looking forward to working with the House of Representatives and the governor on finalizing a responsible and sustainable K-12 education budget.

Like other states, Iowa is experiencing increasing incidents of violence against teachers, classroom disruptions inhibiting an environment of learning, and a climate of uncertainty in many our schools. The status quo is not acceptable, and Iowa schools need help to properly deal with this problem. SSB 3080 creates policy, and funding solutions, to give schools a chance to help students with serious violent behavior problems, to ensure the education for other students is not shortchanged, and to keep our teachers safe.

This bill limits the use of “classroom clears” as a regular method of student behavioral management. A classroom clear happens when all the students except a student with behavioral challenges leave the room during a student’s outburst. This technique disrupts the learning of too many Iowa students.

SSB 3080 would prohibit classroom clears from being written into an individual education plan (IEP). If a classroom clear occurs, the parents of students who are displaced from a classroom must be notified by the school district within 24 hours, and the parents of a student responsible for a classroom clear must meet with school administration prior to that student returning to the classroom.

Further, SSB 3080 creates an incentive for schools to establish alternative placement options for students with serious behavioral problems. Some students need alternative settings to succeed academically. This bill also creates comprehensive professional development on the meaning of “least restrictive environment,” giving administration and teachers clarity on classroom placement options.

This new policy also provides teachers training and legal protection from professional and legal liability for using reasonable physical contact in crisis situations. It creates comprehensive, statewide training and professional development for teachers on violent student behavior. Additionally, SSB 3080 clarifies legal protection for teachers and adds professional protections from retaliation for reporting incidents. It also requires teachers to report violent behavior to their principal and encourages them to report incidents to the Department of Public Safety.

Like every new legislative session, there are a plethora of other bills working through the subcommittee and full committee process. As we move forward, please feel free to contact me with thoughts and concerns you have. Our representative form of government starts with you.