Threats to the amount of allowable growth Iowa school districts can plan for in the next year were recently discussed by the Washington Community School Board.

The board held a special meeting to discuss their five-year financial plan, as Superintendent Willie Stone stated that they are starting to see some of the students come back that were lost in 2020. Washington’s certified enrollment was down 88 students during the previous school year which amounted to an approximate $680,000 loss in per-pupil funding. Stone continued to express his push for a 3% increase in Supplemental State Aid from the state legislature. Governor Kim Reynolds is proposing a 2.5% increase, as last year it was set at 2.4%. Supplemental State Aid, or SSA, is the amount of added funding given to the state cost per pupil, and Stone has contacted all of the legislators who represent parts of the school district. Stone shared that Representative Jeff Shipley of Jefferson County responded to his email stating that there are districts that are doing something unlawful in teaching critical race theory, so it will be hard to fund education when they know that “many districts are doing something unlawful.”

Board Member Troy Suchan commented on the claim, “I think Mr. Shipley’s response is pretty shameful for a legislator. I want to say that while it’s being recorded because if he wants to sit and penalize school districts ‘cause he doesn’t like how some districts are following the law. Instead of enforcing that law and not punishing the rest of us, then he’s a POS as far I’m concerned and he can come sit here and talk to us about it and I will discuss and debate with him face to face and I hope he’s listening, period.”

Stone commented that the legislators are risking hurting education for all for the possible mistakes of a few. He shared that this is the year for higher SSA, as the state finished the most recent fiscal year with a $1.24 billion surplus on top of a $305 million surplus in fiscal year 2020. Last year’s SSA increase amounted to 179 added dollars per pupil, or an approximate $37 million increase. The legislature is expected to pass SSA within the first 30 days of the session so that schools can properly budget for the next fiscal year.