Governor Terry Branstad vetoed over $55 million in additional funding for Iowa’s public schools for the 2015-2016 school year. After the Democratic and Republican representatives had come to a compromise, the legislature had approved the spending of the one-time cash. Washington Community School District Superintendent Jeff Dicks said it was not a surprise. He added that the district can withstand this year of inadequate funding but will need to watch expenditures and continue to build upon successes. The new superintendent added, “because funding is based upon number of students, we will need to make Washington Community Schools even more attractive for families to make Washington not only their home but also their educational choice.”

Former superintendent Dr. Mike Jorgensen expressed disappointment and frustration. Jorgensen said he doesn’t understand why the legislators were held for a month to work out a compromise only to have it vetoed. He added he has “trouble with the priorities in the state right now where Iowa has very high levels of revenues and yet we are unable to fund the needs because we were in such a hurry to give money back; we over committed on tax breaks and as a result we can’t adequately fund our needs.”