DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) – Iowa students will soon head home for summer break. When they return next year, some schools may find it harder to fund their education. This week, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a 2% increase in public school funding into law. It gives districts an extra $162 per student next year.
Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District Superintendent Caleb Bonjour says all things considered, his rural district of about 600 students is doing okay, but the cost of utilities, gas, and salaries are increasing. He says he’ll have to dip into reserves next year.
“I think one of the biggest challenges for us as a district is trying to make sure that we’re continuously taking care of our staff. It was exciting to have the bill go through last year to increase teacher pay and things like that, but it also created its own set of challenges,” he said.
Bonjour says the 2% increase in state aid schools are getting isn’t sustainable.
“If we were to receive the same 2% for the next five years, by year six, we would be in the red. And so essentially right now, by about year three or four, if we don’t get additional or an increase in state supplemental aid above the 2%, we’ll probably have to start looking at some reductive measures,” he said.
Had state lawmakers kept funding in line with inflation over the last 10 years, Bonjour says his district would be much better off.
“Our district alone would have an additional half a million a year which would have allowed us to continue to do all those raises and increases without having to have it be, you know, essentially one-time funding,” he said.
The funding bill Republicans passed also includes additional money to help rural districts with their transportation costs and allows districts to share more employees.
“I think next year we’ll be looking to try to maximize that as much as possible with sharing some business office personnel. We currently share a curriculum director, director of transportation. We’ll look at possibly like director of building and grounds and stuff,” Bonjour said.
Aside from the school funding package, House Republicans secured $14 million to increase para educator pay next year.
Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley (R-New Hartford) told reporters earlier this month, “Our caucus feels extremely strong that if we’re going to provide that level of support that we did with that bill last year that we’re not going to go back and just cut that and leave our schools in a situation to find the difference.”
Bonjour says the district gets around $17,000 for that. They’ve been able to give support staff paid holidays with it. He says that it’s hard to raise pay though because it’s one-time funding and if the state decides not to do it in subsequent years, it could leave the district on the hook for an additional cost.
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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV on X/Twitter @ConnerReports, and on TikTok @ConnerReports.
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