School Funding Controversy Ends Eggs & Issues For 2015

Sparks between Oskaloosa Superintendent Russ Reiter (pictured) and Iowa House Representative Guy Vander Linden flew during Saturday’s Eggs & Issues.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Legislative session continues in Des Moines, but the 2015  version of Eggs & Issues has come to a close.

Iowa House Representatives Larry Sheets (R) and Guy Vander Linden (R) were joined by Iowa Senator Ken Rozenboom (R) to once again field questions from the public about issues concerning them.

The forum, held bi-weekly at Smokey Row Coffee House in Oskaloosa, is hosted by the Oskaloosa Area Chamber and Development Group and moderated by Oskaloosa Mayor Dave Krutzfeldt.

With school funding not being settled yet for this year, the topic of supplemental state aid was once again at the forefront of the conversation. Rep. Vander Linden addressed that in his opening comment to the nearly 80 people in attendance.

“It’s still in conference. It has not moved,” said Vander Linden of the supplemental state aid bill that would see school districts having funding increased by 1.25%. If the Senate and House can’t agree, the amount of increase will drop to 0% for the fiscal year 2015-16.

Oskaloosa Superintendent Russ Reiter expressed his concerns and frustration to the legislators about the lack of decision and amount of school funding on Saturday. “First and foremost, I’m not sure if my frustrations are with the governor or the legislature in general,” said Reiter.

Reiter talked about the Revenue Estimating Committee, which came back with slightly lower than projected revenue than what was predicted in December. The Iowa Legislature is required by law to use the December number for budgeting purposes, unless the March number is lower.

Reiter made reference to 1.5 billion dollars “sitting in the capitol building, and we’re going to hear there’s no money, there’s no money, there’s no money”.

Reiter charged that Governor Branstad overextended himself on corporate property tax relief, and a proposed income tax cut bill that is floating around in the Senate, “and all of a sudden you see a more decrease in spending”.

“I’m hard-pressed to still say that there’s not money there when I see bills coming in that are going to spend additional monies,” versus passing along the additional $200 million to education.

“So, frustration’s… Up to here,” said Reiter, with his hand near his forehead.

“How can you justify there’s no money to spend on the students and the kids of this state?” Reiter asked of the legislators.

“There is no billion dollars. The Senate did not pass any bill that…” Rep. Vander Linden was saying as he was interrupted by Reiter about the Senate bill.

“We have to live with the number the REC (Revenue Estimating Committee) puts out, which is slightly less, but will not effect school spending. So you don’t need to worry about that,” said Vander Linden to Reiter.

“But as often as schools and educators keep saying we need more, the answer is going to be, we don’t have it,” Vander Linden said. “We are not going to provide what we don’t have.”

“As fiscal conservatives, we are going to continue to raise the issue of putting money back in Iowan’s pockets, and take it out of state government. Over the long-term, we believe this is going to increase tax revenue, increase revenues to schools and make things better for everybody,” added Vander Linden.

“As I have said in this forum before, and I continue to say it, schools, superintendents, school boards should now be putting the pressure on the Senate to agree to give the schools the 1.25 they are going to get. Agree today, so they will get it quicker, closer to the time you need to make your budgets; not try to drag this out because it isn’t going to change. That’s the best we can do,” said Vander Linden.