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Lawmakers respond to Davenport Superintendent’s intent to violate law

In the Iowa Senate Tuesday, lawmakers held a sign reading, “Davenport students are not worth-less.” Some Davenport students and Superintendent Art T...

In the Iowa Senate Tuesday, lawmakers held a sign reading, "Davenport students are not worth-less."

Some Davenport students and Superintendent Art Tate says they are "worth-less" because of a funding formula established in the 1970s.

"Basically up until the mid 70s, all of the school funding was based on property tax alone and in the mid 70s, we determined that it should be a partnership between state funds and local funds, so they set up a supplemental aid amount. At that particular time, our school districts, there was a stronger local control, school districts deciding how much they will support schools, so the school districts that were levying in property tax above that state cost per pupil were allowed to keep that differential, and they've been able to keep that differential for 40 years," said Iowa State Representative Cindy Winckler.

So currently, Davenport Superintendent Art Tate says the district receives $175 less than districts like Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley and they are not authorized by the State of Iowa to spend the $29 million they have in reserves to close that gap.

"I understand the issue and I understand the dissatisfaction with the funding formula," said Iowa State Senator Tod Bowman.

The district's legislative advocacy committee did try to make some changes to the funding differential temporarily. In February, they presented a bill to an education subcommittee that would give them the authority to spend an additional $175 per student out of their reserve fund. It never made it out of subcommittee.

"That doesn't mean there aren't other alternative ways to address the issue. There's a lot of ways to bypass the funnel, that they have through other bills or amendments to bills that will be making their way through the process," said Senator Bowman, who is on the Education committee.

Asked whether there was any possibility of legislation to change the funding formula in the near future Bowman said, "I don't know how to forecast that. This is a unique place in the sense that you know, I think all legislators are in tune to their constituents and when you have people and leaders, you make decisions the magnitude that the superintendent of Davenport schools did, I think that will get a lot of attention. And so, hopefully it will drive the agenda to make some legitimate changes to the school funding formula.

Until then, Superintendent Tate says he'll spend some of the reserve money he is not authorized to spend. He'll be breaking to the law in doing so, to which the Iowa Department of Education Communications Director Staci Hupp Bollard said in a statement, "We can respect that there are many points of view on the issue of funding for Iowa's schools, but we can't support or condone a school district's decision to violate the law. If there is follow-through, there will be consequences."

Jimmy Centers, Communications Director for Governor Terry Branstad said it a statement, "Gov. Branstad is committed to giving Iowa schools stability and predictability regarding state aid for education. That's why Gov. Branstad recommended two years of funding for K-12 education on the second day of the legislative session. The governor's budget recommends over $3 billion for K-12 education each of the next two years, a more than $554 million increase since he took office. The governor believes this level of funding provides our schools the resources they need to prepare our students for the careers of the 21st century."

Get more coverage of the budget shortfall Davenport Schools face--click here

 

 

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