Action Line for February 5, 2009
Volume XXXII, Number 4
The allowable growth budget question of the week: how does the governor’s proposed across-the-board (ATB) cut impact state aid? The governor’s recommendation on allowable growth and state aid for FY 2010 includes the following provision:
- Maintains for FY 2010 the 4 percent allowable growth rate set last session (this is an increase of $222 per pupil).
- Caps the state foundation aid appropriation at approximately $2.53 billion. This action funds regular school aid at the equivalent of a 2 percent allowable growth level minus the carry forward of the FY 2009 1.5 percent ATB cut of $33.5 million. The additional 6.5 percent ATB for FY 2010 does not apply to state foundation aid.
- The easiest way to explain this: the 4 percent allowable growth, which brings the state cost per pupil to $5,768, is maintained for purposes of spending authority, but it is estimated that the state will withhold $155.29 per weighted student (line 3.15 of the Aid and Levy Worksheet) from the state’s share of foundation aid.
The Legislative Services Agency has posted the state aid impacts on the General Assembly’s Web site at http://staffweb.legis.state.ia.us/lfb/docs/k-12_ed/k-12_ed.htm.
Allowable Growth Action Network
IASB sent out an Action Network requesting member advocacy on allowable growth over the next week (and continued until the Legislature determines the FY 2011 rate and/or revisits the FY 2010 rate).
Key Messages Include:
- School districts do not have control over cost increases.
- Student needs don’t wait for a pending economic recovery.
- Local boards are in the best position to balance the needs of students and communities and determine their budgets in a public forum. To see additional explanation of these key messages or other tools available to help you advocate, find the entire Action Network at http://www.ia-sb.org/Publications.aspx?id=6566.
What you need to do: Contact your legislators this week at the Capitol (phone numbers of the House and Senate switchboard are in the footer of this Action Line), at home over the weekend, or attend weekly forums to request they provide an adequate allowable growth rate to cover the increased cost of wages, benefits, utilities, fuel and other expenses used to deliver a quality educational program. To see a schedule of weekly forums, visit the IASB Web page at http://www.ia-sb.org/MemberBenefits.aspx?id=1492. Also, remember to reply to IASB’s survey regarding initial association salary offers. If you initially reported that bargaining hasn’t begun in your district, you may go back in to the survey at any time to report the initial offer: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=sA44_2bKLlPhTx914FcVZQ_2fQ_3d_3d.
SF 9 Disposition of School Property This bill reverses changes made in HF 2526 last year, returning to the law prior to the enactment of HF 2526 during the 2008 legislative session. In effect, this bill strikes the requirement that school districts wait for 12 months after the decision to dispose of property lest a public petition to question the board’s decision and take it to a vote surfaces. The bill also deletes the definitions of “dispose” and “disposition,” which were included in HF 2624. IASB supports this bill, which was approved by the Senate and moves to the House.
HSB 4 Disposition of School Property (bill number will change) by Education
This bill reverses changes made in HF 2526 last year, returning to how Iowa Code was written prior to the enactment of HF 2526 during the 2008 legislative session. As amended in the House Education Committee, this bill amends the requirement that school districts wait for 12 months after the decision to dispose of property to a waiting period of 10 days, lest a public petition to question the board’s decision and take it to a vote surfaces. The bill also deletes the definitions of “dispose” and “disposition,” which were included in HF 2624. IASB supports this bill, which was approved by the House Education Committee and moves to the House Calendar.
SF 76 School Start Date by Johnson, et al.This bill changes the earliest school start date to Aug. 25, effective for the 2010-11 school year. The bill eliminates the DE authority to grant a school district waiver request to begin prior to the earliest starting date allowed, which currently is no sooner than a day during the calendar week in which the first day of September falls or, if the first day of September falls on a Sunday, a day during the prior week. The bill makes a conforming change to eliminate an exemption from aid reduction for early school starts, unless the exemption is for a school district approved to implement an innovative school year. If a school district does not have an innovative school calendar waiver and begins early, the bill requires the school district's state aid payments be reduced by 1/180 for each day of that fiscal year for which the school district begins school before the earliest starting date allowed. IASB opposes this bill, now in the Senate Education Committee.
HF 214 Educational Opportunity for Military Children by Veterans Affairs
This bill addresses the issue of students of military parents who have to transfer schools due to a re-assignment of the military parent. The bill addresses
the treatment of records, immunizations, and enrollment. It is a federal compact bill that has already passed over 10 states so is now considered to be federal law. IASB is monitoring the bill, now on the House Calendar.
Please visit www.ia-sb.org to view this week’s Capitol Cast video clip from Margaret Buckton. In addition, photos from IASB’s 30th Legislative Conference are also now available online under the Legislative Advocacy page – feel free to use them in newsletters or thank you notes to legislators.
There is now a quick survey tool to help you easily keep IASB in the loop on conversations and e-mail exchanges you have with legislators. Whether you are talking about allowable growth or want to report something that helps us understand your district or legislator’s viewpoint on any issue at all, please visit the IASB Web site http://www.ia-sb.org/LegislativeAdvocacy.aspx?id=6466 and take two minutes to describe your conversation via the Local Legislative Contact Report. This saves you a phone call or e-mail and gives us everything we need to follow-up with your legislators or spot themes in conversations that we can address through this Action Line or an Action Network. Thanks for helping us keep track of your great advocacy work!
IASB Government Relations Team
Margaret Buckton, mbuckton@ia-sb.org
Mary Gannon, mgannon@ia-sb.org
Emily Piper, emily80@mchsi.com
Marte Brightman, mbrightman@ia-sb.org
Delivery Note: IASB sends you the Action Line by the fastest method possible: E-mails are usually sent Thursday evening; the print version is mailed Friday. If you prefer the Action Line by a method other than how it's now being sent to you, please contact Marte Brightman at IASB, mbrightman@ia-sb.org, or 1-800-795-4272.