Iowa’s public K-through-12 schools will get a two percent increase in general state support — so that total state spending on each student will be over 81-hundred dollars next year. Republicans in the Iowa House approved the plan late last week and on Monday Senate Republicans voted to send it to the governor. Republican Senator Lynn Evans, a retired superintendent from Aurelia, says there are bookkeeping changes, too, like updating October’s enrollment count in January and sending school districts state funding in quarterly rather than monthly installments. “Quarterly payments will address a school district who face cash flow problems or issues in July and August,” Evans said. “This will provide a summer payment and reduce administrative costs.” The decision also means every state-funded Education Savings Account for a private school student will get over 81-hundred dollars for the next school year.
