Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott Statement on Passage of 2023-24 School Funding

Iowa state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott released the following statement regarding final passage of the Republican school funding plan for the 2023-24 academic year: 

“The school funding bill that passed the House today and the Senate last week fails to  meet the needs facing students and teachers in districts across Iowa,” Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, said. “That’s especially true in rural Iowa, where 72 districts will actually lose state funding compared to the current year.”

The Republican plan increases school funding by 3 percent, or about $107 million, for the upcoming school year. But for 72 largely rural districts across the state, that increase will not offset the funding lost due to declining enrollments, meaning they’ll receive less state support than they’re getting now. 

While state support for school is tied to enrollment numbers, schools must contend with fixed costs for building maintenance, supplies and more. Declining enrollment can mean thousands less in funding, with no equal drop in expenses. Most districts will make up that loss by raising property taxes. 

“If you live in one of these 72 districts, your local senator voted to provide less support for kids and teachers in your community,” Trone Garriott said. “Iowans deserve to know when their elected representatives vote to hurt their communities and leave kids with less. And if you live in one of these districts, your senator needs to hear from you.” 

Below is a list of senators who voted for 3 percent school funding, along with the school districts they represent that will receive less state funding as a result:

Sen. Kevin Alons, R-Salix
Boyer ValleyWhiting
Maple Valley-Anthon OtoWoodbine
West Monona
Sen. Chris Cournoyer, R-LeClaire
MaquoketaMidland
Sen. Mark Costello, R-Imogene
Boyer ValleyTreynor
GriswoldWest Monona
Red OakWoodbine
Sen. Adrian Dickey, R-Packwood
Davis CountyMount Pleasant
Eddyville-Blakesburg-FremontNorth Mahaska
English ValleysPekin
Fairfield
Sen. Dawn Driscoll, R-Williamsburg
English ValleysMid-Prairie
FairfieldPekin
HLVWinfield-Mt Union
Lone Tree
Sen. Jeff Edler. R-State Center
BCLUWEast Marshall
Colo-NescoWest Marshall
Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia
Schaller-CrestlandSibley-Ocheyedan
Sen. Julian B. Garrett, R-Indianola
Melcher-DallasSoutheast Warren
Sen. Jesse Green, R-Boone
AudubonPanorama
Ogden
Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen, R-Walcott
BennettMidland
DurantTipton
Sen. Dennis Guth, R-Klemme
AldenLu Verne
Belmond-KlemmeWebster City
Eagle Grove
Sen. Mike Klimesh, R-Spillville
StarmontSumner-Fredericksburg
Sen. Carrie Koelker, R-Dyersville
MaquoketaMidland
Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge
Eagle GroveSchaller-Crestland
Fort DodgeWebster City
Sen. Mark S. Lofgren, R-Muscatine
ColumbusLone Tree
DanvilleMount Pleasant
DurantWest Burlington
FairfieldWinfield-Mt Union
Sen. Charlie McClintock, R-Alburnett
Center Point-UrbanaUnion
Central City
Sen. Jeff Reichman, R-Montrose
DanvilleWest Burlington
Mount Pleasant
Sen. David D. Rowley, R-Spirit Lake
Lu VerneRuthven-Ayrshire
North Kossuth
Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Pella
Colfax-MingoMelcher-Dallas
East MarshallNorth Mahaska
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
Sen. Sandy Salmon, R-Janesville
Charles CitySumner-Fredericksburg
DunkertonWapsie Valley
North Butler
Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Scheswig
AudubonSchaller-Crestland
Boyer ValleySchleswig
IKM-ManningWoodbine
Maple Valley-Anthon Oto
Sen. Tom Shipley, R-Nodaway
CorningRed Oak
East UnionSouth Page
Griswold
Sen. Amy Sinclair, R-Allerton
AlbiaSeymour
EarlhamSoutheast Warren
East UnionWinterset
Mormon Trail
Sen. Annette Sweeney, R-Iowa Falls
AldenEnglish Valleys
BCLUWHLV
Brooklyn-Guernsey-MalcomMontezuma
Colo-NescoNorth Mahaska
East MarshallUnion
Sen. Cherielynn Westrich, R-Ottumwa
AlbiaFairfield
Davis CountyPekin
Eddyville-Blakesburg-FremontSeymour
Sen. Dan Zumbach, R-Ryan
DunkertonSumner-Fredericksburg
JesupUnion
Maquoketa ValleyWapsie Valley
StarmontWest Delaware Co

# # #