Bob Kressig Newsletter August 22, 2024

Changes students, parents, and educators can expect this school year 

Iowans have always counted on great public schools to educate our kids, acting as the hearts of our communities. As students and teachers head back to the classroom for the new school year, we must take care of the 485,000 kids in public schools.

Our educators’ hard work is truly appreciated! Please sign the card and ADD YOUR NAME to thank educators for their dedication to Iowa’s kids at: https://tinyurl.com/bdcmyznt.

Despite our high-quality educators, Iowa has recently lost ground because of legislative Republican policies. It’s not too late to renew our commitment to great public schools, here is how we do it:

• Fully fund public schools to keep up with rising costs and guarantee every kid in every zip code gets a great education
• Raise pay for educators and give them a seat at the table
• Keep public money in public schools
• Reverse the Governor’s plan to eliminate AEAs and improve local delivery of special education services to Iowa kids

Our public school kids are losing out and too many teachers are leaving the classroom – here’s why:

Cuts to Services for Kids

Instead of listening to parents, educators, and Iowans, the Governor hired an out-of-state, private company to write a bill that cuts mental health, disability, behavioral, and reading recovery services to kids in public, private, and home schools provided through Area Education Agencies (AEAs).

New data from the AEAs show 400 fewer positions are supporting Iowa kids this school year, which is a 12% drop compared to last year. One AEA has seen over an 18% drop in staffing levels.

The cuts and changes approved by GOP lawmakers have left many parents wondering how their child who needs additional support services will receive them in the upcoming school year.

Private School Vouchers

Pushed by Governor Kim Reynolds and Republican lawmakers, the voucher law passed in Iowa takes funding and resources away from public schools and gives them to private schools.

Private school vouchers not only reduce funding for public schools but result in reduced services and resources in many rural districts as well. According to data released by the Reynolds Administration, 66% of students who received a voucher last year were already in private schools.

Instead of investing more in public schools, Republican lawmakers increased public money going to private schools by 40% just this year, which was by far the largest increase in all state spending.  With a price tag of over $235 million this year, the state’s non-partisan budget experts say Iowa taxpayers should expect to hand over $1 billion to private schools in just the first four years of the voucher program.

Book Bans

School library book bans were at the forefront of the Republican agenda as special interest groups and right-wing lawmakers pushed to censor books. While an injunction delayed implementation last year, the law is now in effect.

The Iowa book ban is now taking popular and classic novels off the shelves. One Iowa school has made a list of nearly 400 books that are no longer allowed in classrooms and libraries, including literary classics like Catch-22, George Orwell’s 1984, The Color Purple, and The Catcher in the Rye.

Previously, if a parent did not want their child to read a book, they could just notify the school of that decision, and their child would not have access to it.  Now, politicians and any parent can object to a book and have the book removed.

Arming Teachers 

Lastly, Republicans approved arming teachers in public and private schools. Iowa has not issued any weapon permits for school employees as administrative rules are being considered. Districts remain at risk of losing their insurance coverage and increasing taxpayer costs if employees are allowed to be armed.

Governor Reynolds Rejects Federal Funding to Feed Iowa Kids, Again 

Despite surging demand at Iowa’s food banks this summer, Governor Reynolds has once again declined federal funding to feed Iowa’s kids next summer.

The federal summer EBT program provides $120 in direct funds to kids who qualify for free lunch during school.  Parents can use the EBT card to purchase for their child during the summer.

Instead of opting for guaranteed funding to feed kids during the summer, she chose to submit a waiver to the USDA to create her program which would provide eligible families with three boxes of food throughout the summer at specific designated locations.

If the USDA declines the waiver, Iowa will again lose $29 million in federal funding. The SNAP program, including the summer program, is fully funded by the federal government, with the state only having to pay half of the costs to administer the program. Governor Reynolds also declined this funding last year to create her program using $900,000 of the state’s own money.

This program only had a daily average participation in 2023 of 21,557 Iowans, while the federal summer EBT program would cover more than 245,000 children.

Capitol and Community Updates

THANK A UNION: September is Labor Union Appreciation Month! Unions continue to fight to ensure all employees are treated fairly, earn a living wage, and have safe working conditions. Be sure to thank a union member for helping improve the lives of all workers.

REMINDER TO STOP FOR SCHOOL BUSES: Drivers must stop for school buses with their flashing lights on and the side stop sign out or face a fine and risk having their license suspended for 30 days.

DISASTER HOUSING ASSISTANCE: Homeowners impacted by natural disasters this summer may be eligible for housing assistance.

IOWA NURSING HOMES OWE $10.7 MILLION IN FEES: The State of Iowa failed to collect more than $10.7 million in fees from 49 nursing homes. The CEO of the company that owes the most to taxpayers is also a major campaign donor to the GOP with more than $239,000 going to Republican lawmakers.

SCHOOL PERMIT CHANGES THIS YEAR: More changes have been made to where students with school or work permits can drive. Check out the changes before your student hits the road.