After a long-fought school funding battle at the Iowa State House and Senate, Governor Branstad wielded his mighty pen and vetoed a bill that would have given Iowa schools additional funding for the upcoming year. The proposed $55.7 million funding would have been distributed to schools as a one-time effort to help manage budgets already bursting at the seams.
Clarke Community Schools Superintendent, Steve Seid took time to comment about the effect the veto will have on the district, as well as how they plan to move forward with reduced financial support from the State.
“I had gone to the legislature four times, discussing with them the importance of school funding. When they found a happy medium with this one-time money, I felt very confident it was going to be a plus for the school district.”
Seid went on to explain how the district had build budget projections for the upcoming year with that money in mind – items like textbooks for a new science curriculum and basic student support. With the stroke of his pen, Branstad pulled over $159,000 from the budget, forcing Seid and the Clarke Community School Board to rethink how to fund future programs for their students.
Superintendent Seid closed by adding,
“With the 1.25% that we are now getting, that equates to $80.00 per student. With the cost of living, school supplies and all of the things needed to have a school function, $80.00 per student just doesn’t cut it.”
The future of the school funding bill is still unknown. Rumblings of a special session to go back to the bargaining table have made the rounds. Democrats called Monday for a special legislative session in an effort to override the vetoes Gov. Terry Branstad issued for education funding and funding for a state mental health institute. House Democrats initiated the call to action, and Sen. Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said Monday evening that Senate Democrats would also join the effort.
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For more information, contact:
Steve Seid, Superintendent, Clarke Community Schools
802 North Jackson | Osceola, IA 50213
>Phone: 641.342.4969 | Fax: 641.342.6101
e-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.clarke.k12.ia.us/
