Burlington School Board Submits Budget Despite Des Moines Gridlock

The Burlington School Board is expressing frustration over a lack of compromise in Des Moines regarding school funding in the state. Republican and Democrats in the State Legislature are still sparring over how much more money to allocate to schools this year than last lear, with Democrats proposing a 4% increase and Republicans sticking tight to a 1.25% increase in allowable growth.

That battle is leaving school districts in a tough position, Wednesday is the deadline for schools to get their budgets in to the Iowa Department of Education, and many districts have had to submit budgets that aren’t very precise on how much money they’re going to have in the coming fiscal year.

The Burlington School District has submitted a budget that includes a .97 cents per $1000 assessed valuation tax Hike, but Superintendent Pat Coen says that number will decrease as the state legislature adjusts the budget to fit allowable growth, once a decision is made in the statehouse.

Coen says that the 1.25% increase proposed by Republicans really isn’t enough, at least for Burlington, but theres some question as to whether or not the Democrats proposal would be enough, either.

“A district like ours, we’ve had habitual declining enrollment,” Coen told KBUR, “We get paid per student, so if we get less money, and lose students…we could end up with less money than the year before, regardless of the allowable growth.”

The district has managed to decrease outgoing open enrollment students by over half this year, having lost 170 kids to other schools in 2014. This year, 60 kids enrolled in other districts instead of Burlington.

Burlington was, along with several other schools, the recipient of a large amount of categorical state funding last year designed to help with teacher training costs. Coen says the distribution of those categorical dollars could be one reason why Republicans are insisting on a lower allowable growth number this year.