(Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has signed the first bill of the 2022 legislative session. The bill (HF 2316) increases education funding by 2.5 percent per pupil, or $159-million.
“Providing a quality education for the next generation of Iowans is one of our most important responsibilities,” stated Gov. Reynolds. “The state’s significant and responsible funding increases year-over-year for more than a decade helps ensure that Iowa has the strong public education system necessary to support the success of our students and our state.”
Fifty-six percent of the state’s entire budget funds public education alone. In fiscal year 2023, which begins July 1 of this year, that amount will total more than $3.6 billion. Eighty percent of the education budget goes to preK-12 schools including more than $3.5 billion for state foundation school aid and nearly $29.5 million for transportation equity.
More than $700 million in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds remain unused by Iowa’s public school districts for pandemic relief. Information and guidance on the relief packages are available on the Iowa Department of Education website here.
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