(Des Moines) This week, the Iowa Senate approved a 2% increase in Supplemental State Aid (SSA) for the upcoming fiscal year, aligning with the Governor’s budget proposal. Greenfield Republican and Iowa House District #23 Representative Ray Sorensen states House Republicans believe our public schools need greater support. On Thursday, we passed a proposal to further increase funding for Iowa’s students.
Key Components of House Study Bill 138:
- 2.25% SSA Increase – Allocates an additional $114.5 million for public schools.
- 0.6% One-Time SSA Payment – Provides an extra $22.6 million in funding.
- $10 Per Pupil Equity Increase – Totals $5.8 million to enhance funding equity.
- Operational Sharing Budget Expansion – Raises the cap from 21 to 25, adding $1 million in funding.
- School Transportation Cost Cap – Caps district transportation costs at the statewide average of $430 per pupil, offering $5.8 million in relief.
Altogether, these provisions result in a 3.93% increase in state funding for public schools, bringing the new state per-pupil allocation to $8,039 and committing $3.9368 billion to education in FY 2025.
Clarifying ESA vs. Public School Funding
There has been misleading rhetoric suggesting Education Savings Account (ESA) funding is increasing at a significantly higher rate than public school funding. Here are the facts:
- ESA funding grows at the same rate as SSA and will see a $97.4 million increase this year due to the final stage of program expansion.
- Under our proposal, public schools will receive a $149.2 million increase—substantially more than the ESA increase.
- State Budget Allocation: Public education remains the largest investment, accounting for 43.62% of the total budget, while ESAs represent just 2.01%.
Public schools continue to receive the vast majority of state education funding, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to strengthening Iowa’s public education system.
