The 2018 Iowa Legislative session is well underway, and one piece of legislation many across the state were keeping an eye on was how much the Legislature would give public schools in state supplemental aid.

They recently passed a 1% increase from last year. District 19 Representative Ralph Watts says in a tight budget it took some convincing to even give schools that much. “You know, there’s sensitivity for school funding, certainly, and that’s something we always look at. And I think as they looked at the tea leaves, so to speak, felt, ‘Well maybe we can squeak out another 1%.’ And that’s the way it came down. It’s an effort to try to do what we can for the school districts and keep education as a priority.”

On the school side of the issue, many districts, including Perry, were preparing for the possibility of no increase in state supplemental aid. Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks says while on one hand he was happy there was any kind of increase, he doesn’t feel it’s sufficient for schools to be run effectively. “We appreciate any amount that we can get, first of all. And we also appreciate that they decided early on. But for the past about four or five years, it’s always been about 1.1% or less, which in any kind of a system, again, or business or whatever the case might be, that is not going to be enough to sustain ourselves. These past few years, this 1% business is putting schools in a pickle, but you know what? It is what it is, we’re going to deal with the cards, and we’re going to continue to move forward.”

Wicks adds, he hopes the legislature will realize how important of an investment public school is for the landscape and culture of Iowa. He believes educated people will ultimately help the economy grow, helping the state climb out of its current financial crisis.