DES MOINES, Iowa — On Monday, Jan. 23, Gov. Kim Reynolds released this statement on the Iowa legislature passing the Students First Act:
“I am thrilled that both the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate have passed the Students First Act and I look forward to signing it into law later today. For the first time, we will fund students instead of a system, a decisive step in ensuring that every child in Iowa can receive the best education possible. Parents, not the government, can now choose the education setting best suited to their child regardless of their income or zip code. With this bill, Iowa has affirmed that educational freedom belongs to all, not just those who can afford it.”
Governor Kim Reynolds announced the school voucher proposal in her Condition of the State speech. It will create a taxpayer-funded education savings account to help students and families pay for private school.
Under the bill, any family with a K-12 student who wants to move from a public school to a private school would receive just over $7,500 from the state, which is the full amount of taxpayer money that the state allocates to each student.
The bill will divert the money from public school districts and redirect the funds to families who elect to switch to a private school.
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