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(Des Moines, IA) -- Republican leaders in Iowa are calling for a 2% raise in supplemental school funding, matching Gov. Kim Reynolds' proposal. The Senate version passed a committee meeting 11-5 on Thursday. State Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink (R-Fort Dodge) is on the Senate Education Committee.
"What we're doing here is we're offering a sustainable source of funding for our schools," Sen. Kraayenbrink says.
A 2% increase amounts to roughly $235 million dollars. Democrats say they don't think it's enough. State Sen. Herman Quirmbach (D-Ames) is the committee's ranking member.
"Two percent is entirely inadequate to meet the needs of our local school districts," Quirmbach says. "Our public schools throughout the state. Inflation is running at 3%. So, we're falling further and further behind inflation."
Democrats in both chambers are proposing a 5% increase. Senate File 167 is eligible for debate on the floor as early as today, but House of Representatives leaders aren't ready to verbally commit to a number. That includes Speaker Pat Grassley (R-New Hartford).
""Right now, our conversations are looking at what additional things may have interest in within the funding formula," Grassley says. "Obviously there's [Supplemental State Aid] a part of that but there's other things we've historically as a House caucus wanted to consider."
A self-imposed deadline gives lawmakers 30 days from when the Governor officially submits her budget proposal to decide on this specific funding. That means they have two more weeks.