Action Line for January 29, 2010
Volume XXXIII, Number 3
Governor Culver released his FY 2011 budget recommendations this week and announced that he had submitted a balanced budget. His proposal, however, is based upon the Legislature accepting his recommendations for government reorganization. Under the governor’s proposal, the state would spend $5.3 billion in FY 2011, up about 0.4 percent from the last fiscal year. Remember, this is the governor’s proposal and has a number of steps to go through before it’s completed by the Legislature and signed by the governor.
Governor Culver’s budget recommendation maintains the 2 percent allowable growth approved last year by the Legislature but underfunds the state’s commitment to the school aid formula by $170.2 million. School districts will maintain spending authority. School aid funding of $2.494 billion is partially achieved by using the remaining $47 million in federal stimulus funds and transferring $100 million from the state’s cash reserves to the general fund. According to the Legislative Services Agency, the $24 million for property tax equity is preserved.
In addition, the governor’s budget proposal eliminates the state’s financial commitment to the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) by eliminating $13.1 million from the general fund. The Legislature originally proposed elimination of this money last year but ultimately provided funding from the federal stimulus dollars.
The $10 million transferred into the SAVE fund from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund is also eliminated. This funding was slated to expire in FY 2014 when all counties were contributing to the statewide pool for the State Penny for School Infrastructure. Based on estimates from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, 69 counties are slated to receive this supplemental funding, which translates to up to $69 per pupil in additional infrastructure dollars. Based on 2009 data, there were 165,000 students tied to this appropriation.
The Legislative Services Agency shows that the governor has proposed $16 million in new money for preschool expansion. The LSA’s analysis of the governor’s budget proposal is available on the IASB Web site in the Spotlight section at www.ia-sb.org. You can also find FY 2011 Regular Program District Cost projections (New Money) on the IASB website at, http://www.ia-sb.org/Finance.aspx?id=1252.
Due to concerns about the lack of school districts participating in the Race to the Top grant, legislators have asked IASB, SAI and the UEN work with them on language that ensure greater participation by school districts in the next round of grants if Iowa is not funded in the initial round. Since SF 2033 has already been discussed and signed into law, we need to move forward and determine how best to proceed. Members need to talk with their legislators about the collaboration that already occurs and how school improvement should ultimately be the responsibility of the elected board. Key points to make with your legislators are:
- As locally elected officials, the board is the entity that ensures the system is accountable to the community.
- Collaboration already occurs in the school improvement process, but since the accountability is with the board, the decisions should be made by the board.
- Local boards need the ability to choose the intervention due to the board’s unique ability to control the budget, staffing levels, etc.
- We have consistently heard from state leaders that the policies developed to implement RTTT will likely become policy in the future. This language may only apply to 35 schools today, but it is likely to apply to all schools in the future.
As we move forward in these discussions, we need to focus on the future and not rehash the past. Legislators are aware of our concerns with SF 2033 and the process used to develop that legislation. We will keep you posted on the progress of our discussions.
Winter weather has resulted in a mound of snow days this year and school leaders are trying to figure out how to make them up. The DE today released new guidance for this year and what is allowed. Essentially, visit the DE’s Web site athttp://www.iowa.gov/educate/support/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=view&parentcategoryid=76&pcid=0&nav=0.
Bills on the Move
SSB 3030, HSB 565 – Government Reorganization/Future of AEAs
This bill reorganizes and restructures government in order to make it run more efficiently. A number of provisions in the bill impact education. The Senate is planning on running this bill as early as Monday so contact your legislators this weekend to let them know of your concerns about the bill and the un-workability of the new board structure. This description summarizes the Senate version that impacts IASB members.
- This bill changes the method of election of AEA board members. Instead of all nine being public members, six of the nine would represent specific constituencies - a superintendent, a principal, a teacher who does not hold a special education license or endorsement, a special education teacher, a special education paraprofessional, and a parent or guardian of a child requiring special education who has an individualized education program and is receiving special education services from an area education agency. The other three would be from the general public. The bill does not, however, discuss how K-12 boards organize to determine who represents what group, etc. IASB has concerns about the logistics. The bill also doesn’t address the potential conflict of interest of these individuals directing the AEAs work. The language is still a work in progress.
- Study of AEA funding and services.
IASB is monitoring the bill. The Senate bill is on the Senate Calendar and the House version is in the House State Government Committee.
HF 589 - Start Date by Education
HF 589 requires schools to start no earlier than the fourth Monday in August, penalizing schools 1/180th of state aid for every day school starts early, and eliminates the DE authority to grant the traditional start date waiver. If enacted, the earliest school can start is Aug. 22 and the latest Aug. 28. The bill exempts schools that have a three-semester, year-round calendar from the start date limitation. The major justification for the bill has been explained as increasing tourism, attendance at the State Fair and energy savings since school districts have to run their air conditioners in August but likely not in June. The bill has moved from the subcommittee and is before the entire committee so will likely be debated in the Full House Education Committee next week. IASB opposes the bill.
HF 777 – Open Meetings and Public Records by House State Government
Last year, the House passed HF 777 after reaching a compromise with public bodies and the media. This past week, a Senate subcommittee struck the entire bill and inserted language to create the Iowa Public Information Board (IPIB.) The new language does not make changes to either the open meetings or public records law. The board has broad, sweeping authority over the open meetings and public records laws including the authority to require “the appropriate persons who have responsibilities in relation to Chapters 21 and 22 to receive periodic training approved by the board.” There is no definition of “appropriate person.” The bill does not delete the authority of the Iowa Attorney General, county attorney, or Citizen Aide’s Ombudsman in investigation and enforcement of the laws. In a tight budget year, it may not be the fiscally prudent time to start a new agency. IASB is currently monitoring the bill, which is in the Senate State Government Committee.
HF 823 – Green Cleaning Mandate by McCarthy (D)
A bill that is a holdover from last year, HF 823, was revived. The original version of the bill would require school districts to use only cleaning products certified as environmentally sensitive. The bill was re-referred to the House Environmental Protection Committee and the subcommittee on HF 823 proposed an amendment that would delay the mandate until FY 2012. The language would strike the entire bill and replace it with new language that would require schools to use green cleaning products unless they requested a waiver due to higher costs. IASB is monitoring the bill.
HF 2001 – Management Levy Expansion by Frevert, (D) et. al
The subcommittee met (for the fourth time) on HF 2001 and decided that more questions than answers have been raised about the impact of shifting a school district’s health benefit costs to the management levy. The subcommittee decided not to advance the bill. IASB is monitoring the legislation.
HF 2040 (Steckman – D), HF 2072 (May – R), SF 2010– PPEL Expansion (Schoenjahn – D)
The subcommittee on HF 2040 moved the bill forward with an amendment that replaces the original language with a combination of HF 2040, HF 2072 and SF 2010. The amendment would allow for the board-approved PPEL levy to be used for software, technical support staff including nonschool staff, and repairs to equipment, including transportation equipment, purchased under either the board-approved or the voter-approved levy. IASB is opposed to HF 2040 and is monitoring both HF 2072 and SF 2010.
A new CapitolCast will be available Friday. Please feel free to use these clips as a way to stay updated yourself, or show them at the board table to keep your community in the loop on advocacy efforts. Visit http://www.ia-sb.org/LegislativeAdvocacy.aspx?id=6380.
IASB Government Relations Team
Mary Gannon, mgannon@ia-sb.org
Emily Piper, emily@ialobbyresources.com
Marte Brightman, mbrightman@ia-sb.org
How to Contact Legislators:
Phone your legislators at the Capitol: House Switchboard (515) 281-3221 Senate Switchboard (515) 281-3371. Or find your legislators’ contact information at home: www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/Legislators/LegislatorInfo.aspx.
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.