The Rozenboom Report – February 15, 2025

by Senator Ken Rozenboom

Funding for K-12 schools

In our first floor debate of the year, the Senate passed our version of the K-12 education funding proposal for this year. Senate File 167 is a $235 million increase for K-12 education in Iowa. Iowa’s total amount in state aid for K-12 schools will come to $4.2 billion ($7,983 per student), which is 44% of Iowa’s roughly $9 billion budget for the next fiscal year. Senate Republicans remain committed to responsible budgeting, and we believe this $235 million increase for education is a sustainable amount that Iowa schools can depend on.

After 13 years of listening to the annual debate about state funding for K-12 schools, it’s apparent that the narrative never changes from year to year. Every year we’re told that schools are underfunded. Every year we hear complaints about “budget cuts” for schools. Every year we’re told that school funding isn’t keeping up with inflation. Every year we’re told that sub-par performance is due a lack of funding.

So let’s step back and look at the bigger picture. Under this proposal for the next fiscal year, K-12 schools in Iowa will receive total funding of $8.999 billion, or $18,722 per student. This is the total funding package when including local, state and federal dollars (all figures are from the Iowa Dept. of Management). For the typical classroom of 20 students, that’s a total of $374,440 per year. If a teacher is paid $100,000 in salary and benefits, this still leaves $274,440 per year per classroom. I think it’s a fair to ask the education establishment for an accounting of how that money is spent.

To counter the narrative, allow me to make the following observations:

Most constituents I represent do not believe K-12 schools are underfunded.
The statement that there are budget cuts is a canard. The last actual cut to K-12 school funding was in 2009 when Gov. Chet Culver and the Democrat-controlled legislature made a 10% across-the-board cut when they discovered that they had promised more than they could deliver.
The complaint about “not keeping up with inflation” has been true during the last four years when Washington printed and over-spent trillions of dollars, causing the worst inflation in decades. Of course, the taxpayers that provide every penny of school funding are suffering from high inflation themselves, and they’re being told that they need to “inflation proof” the schools. It is a bitter pill to swallow.
Average annual spending per student in first world countries is approximately $14,000 as compared to Iowa’s spending of $18,722. The complaint that there is a lack of funding rings hollow.

The Senate proposal closely mirrors Gov. Reynolds’ proposed spending package, while the House is proposing spending slightly more. I expect the differences will be ironed out over the next few days.

School Absenteeism Policy
Speaking of K-12 schools, we are refining the state’s absenteeism policy. SSB 1077 makes several adjustments and clarifications to the chronic absenteeism policy passed last year in SF 2435. This bill is the result of hearing feedback since the passage of the chronic absenteeism policy in the education budget bill in 2024. This bill adds several provisions to give schools additional flexibility and guidance in how they administer the policy to allow local and individual circumstances to be considered.

A Lot of Bills Moving through the Legislature
Many more proposals are also moving through the committee process. Among those is Senate File 22, which came out of the Judiciary Committee this week. The bill prohibits the use of cell phones while driving. We have heard a lot of comments over the years about this proposal, and with support from the governor this year, we are hoping to see it finally pass in the House and get it over the finish line. This is an important piece of legislation to prevent dangerous driving and keep Iowans safe on the roads.

Rep. Jon Dunwell and I will be at the League of Women Voters forum from 10:00 to 11:00 this Saturday on the DMAAC campus in Newton at 600 N 2nd Ave W. Maybe I’ll see you there.