The following is a legislative update from Senator Amanda Ragan of Mason City –
SENATE VOTES TO MAKE SCHOOL FUNDING FAIRER
Iowa’s approach to school funding has provided a strong foundation for the success of Iowa’s public schools and students, with the vision that every child is worth the same no matter where they live.
Iowa’s approach is more equitable compared to other states. The Senate recently voted to increase funding to schools with high transportations costs.
SF 455 is designed to equalize the amount school districts receive by increasing the statewide cost per pupil over 10 years and making up for the differences in transportation costs among districts. The chart below shows how much additional money our local schools will get.
Transportation costs can siphon off a lot of dollars that could be going to a student’s education in the classroom.SF 455 starts to fix that disparity by offsetting transportation costs so each Iowa student really does get the same amount for their education once they arrive at the school doors. New funding will be phased in over 10 years.
| School District | Amount district will receive when fully phased in |
| AGWSR | $269,216.92 |
| Alden | $154,435.18 |
| Aplington-Parkersburg | $282,044.60 |
| Belmond-Klemme | $189,063.49 |
| Cal | $89,054.03 |
| Central Springs | $435,225.49 |
| Clarion-Goldfield-Dows | $553,598.55 |
| Clarksville | $67,282.30 |
| Clear Lake | $327,236.86 |
| Forest City | $367,918.51 |
| Garner-Hayfield-Ventura | $298,594.76 |
| Hampton-Dumont | $250,362.70 |
| Iowa Falls | $272,619.41 |
| Mason City | $898,323.82 |
| Nashua-Plainfield | $234,165.63 |
| North Butler | $278,167.52 |
| Waverly-Shell Rock | $494,111.23 |
| West Fork | $365,725.51 |
UPCOMING PUBLIC FORUMS
Clear Lake Legislative Update
March 24 @ 10:00 am
Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company
322 Main Ave, Clear Lake
Franklin County Forum
March 24 @ 1:00 pm
Hampton Chamber Of Commerce
5 First Street SW, Hampton
Butler County Forum
March 25 @ 10:00 am
Allison Amvets Building
718 9th Street, Allison
Legislation 101: Learning from Our Legislator
April 1 @ 10:00 am
Greene Public Library
231 W Traer Street, Greene
