Governor Kim Reynolds delivered her annual Condition of the State Address before a joint session of the Iowa legislature Tuesday Night, January 10th. Leading her list of priorities for the year was an education reform package that, after a three-year roll-out, will become a universal education savings account (ESA) program. This would make Iowa among the leaders in the U.S. in empowering parents and their children to choose the educational environment that best meets their needs.
We agree with Governor Reynolds when she said:
“It’s also not about public versus private schools. If that’s how you want to frame it; if you want to pretend this is a war between two different school systems, then you’re not focused on our children.”
Educational Choice programs are student-centered and that’s exactly what the education of students should be…student-centered.
Immediately after the speech, the House and Senate published her proposed legislation. The Governor’s office also published a brief breakdown of the bill but she very succinctly summarized in her speech this way:
“Regardless of the reason, every parent should have a choice of where to send their child—and that choice shouldn’t be limited to families who can afford it.
My school choice bill will create education savings accounts for families who choose to send their child to a private school. The State will contribute $7,598 to that account, which is the amount of funding the State provides for each child who attends a public school.
For students currently attending a private school, the plan will be phased in, focusing first on the families with the lowest income levels. And in three years, every family will have a choice in education. And no child will be limited by income or zip code.”
Parents who choose to enroll their children in an accredited private school will receive the amount of per pupil funds allocated annually by the state to use for tuition, fees, and other qualified expenses.
Funds are deposited into an education savings account (ESA) each year until students graduate or complete high school or turn 20 years of age. Remaining balances are returned to the state general fund.
Effective for the 2023-24 school year, per pupil funding will be $7,598 per student, and ESAs will be available based on the following eligibility:
Year 1: School Year 2023-24
- All kindergarten students
- All public school students
- Private school students with a household income at or below 300% FPL, $83,250 for a family of four
Year 2: School Year 2024-25
- All kindergarten students
- All public school students
- Private school students with a household income at or below 400% FPL, $111,000 for a family of four
Year 3: School Year 2025-26
- All K-12 students in Iowa regardless of income
Other student funding generated by categorical funding formulas will remain with public school districts. This will include funding for students who choose to leave their public school, and private school students living in the district – even though they won’t be educated there. It’s estimated that Iowa’s public schools will retain approximately $1,202 per pupil in categorical funding for each student who attends private school.
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Our Position:
The Iowa Association of Christian Schools fully supports the bill as written and encourage both chambers to send it to her desk for signature. We applaud the Governor for continuing her push to empower parents and students to reach their full potential and respect the role of parents in our state. This bill rolls out quickly, aggressively, includes current families who are and have sacrificed much (and treats all nonpublic school families equally), and protects private schools from undue regulatory burdens to preserve the distinction that makes school choice meaningful.
We look forward to working with both chambers to get this to her desk for signature soon!
You can learn more about school choice and ESAs on our “What is An Education Savings Account” and School Choice Myths pages.