(Des Moines, IA) -- A bill increasing the budget for Iowa's public schools by 3% is ready for Governor Kim Reynolds' signature.
The Iowa House passed Senate File 192 Tuesday morning. The $107 million increase would raise the state general fund spending on public schools to $3.69 billion, bringing the state cost per pupil to $7,635.
Rep. Craig Johnson, R-Buchanan, said the increase represents conservative practices.
"Being predictable with what we do here in Iowa is important to us. This bill will do that," said Johnson. "We're going to afford this again this year, and next year, and the year after that."
Democratic representatives voted against the bill, proposing amendments to increase the budget by 6%.
"We need to make our schools better for every student," said Rep. Sue Cahill, D-Marshall. "Whether they're in the private school, the public school, the rural school, the urban school, the soon-to-be closed school because they cannot meet their funding."
The two Democratic proposals failed.
The bill's passage comes two weeks after Reynolds signed the Students First Act into law, giving parents taxpayer funds to enroll their kids in private schools through an educational savings account (ESA).