SAI Legislative Priorities for 2024

School Administrators of Iowa is a statewide organization representing more than 2,100 Iowa educational administrators. The role of SAI is to support, encourage and develop Iowa's educational leaders and learners.

The following information represents the major legislative priorities of SAI and its members for the 2024 Iowa legislative session.

  • Supplemental State Aid (SSA)
    • SAI supports an increase in SSA of at least 5% for the 2024-25 school year. 
  • Employee Recruitment & Retention
    • SAI encourages efforts to increase funding for teacher’s salaries and compensation, both for new and current teachers and staff.
  • Preschool and Early Literacy
    • SAI supports a focus on early literacy, including fully funding Pre-K programs
  • Funding Equity
    • SAI supports efforts to make all school funding as equitable as possible from all perspectives, including socioeconomic status and at-risk factors.
  • Mental Health
    • SAI supports efforts that are solution-focused regarding mental health issues with children.
  • Education Savings Accounts
    • SAI encourages legislation to address issues presented by the ESA law, including transparency, transportation, and funds returning to public schools.
  • Area Education Agency System Support Statement
    • SAI supports the ever-adapting and improving statewide AEA system and the students, parents and staff they serve.

Supplemental State Aid (SSA)

SAI supports an increase in SSA of at least 5% for the 2024-25 school year (FY25). 

SAI would also appreciate the Legislature setting the supplemental state aid rate within the statutory deadline of the first 30 days of the legislative session so that schools can properly budget and plan for FY25. Categorical funding should be increased at the same rate as supplemental state aid.

SAI is a proponent of adequate and timely funding for Iowa’s public school districts. In recent years, the Legislature has been committed to determining SSA as early in the legislative session as possible to allow districts time to determine their budgets, as required by Iowa Code. These efforts are appreciated.

Unfortunately, the funding levels of SSA over the past several years have not been adequate proportionally with the increased costs of educating Iowa children. School district expenditures generally increase by 3 to 4% each year, and SSA has not increased at a matching rate. That is not adequate funding for our schools, considering the 3% settlement requirement for teaching staff, and current inflation rates. In addition, with low SSA, districts that have even slight declines in enrollment may experience a loss of funding that may require them to increase local property taxes to reach the “budget guarantee.” Over the previous five years, an average of 124 districts per year were on the Budget Guarantee meaning nearly 16 million dollars in property taxes, on average, each year. For FY24, there were still 72 districts on the budget guarantee.

School districts are also facing a critical shortage of teachers and support staff, partially due to the ability of the private sector to increase wages and salaries. Districts are unable to be competitive with the private sector without increased state funding. In addition, the current inflation rates add to the pressure on districts to increase wages for all staff.

Employee Recruitment & Retention

SAI encourages efforts to increase funding for teacher’s salaries and compensation, both for new and current teachers and staff.

The state of Iowa has a significant shortage of teachers and support staff. Survey data supports this fact, and while the impact of the shortage varies geographically and demographically, it is a statewide and nationwide issue. (SAI survey data.) Many districts have been unable to fill teaching and other positions or have been forced to fill positions temporarily. There have been efforts during recent legislative sessions to assist districts in finding teachers to fill positions. Efforts to ease the burden of licensure and certification, both financially and logistically have been helpful, but many of them are band-aids and do not address the big-picture issue. There needs to be significant work done to help districts in hiring and retention.

  • SAI encourages efforts to make education a more inviting profession by increasing funding for teacher’s salaries. Numerous other states have infused significant funds into the system to attract and retain teachers, including states that border Iowa. While Iowa has made efforts to assist with the student-to-teacher pipeline (Teacher & Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Program), more can be done.
  • SAI also supports measures that would provide more flexibility within the Management Fund offering more financial options for districts to recruit and retain staff.
  • Finally, potential changes to the Teacher Leadership and Compensation program will likely have some unintended consequences as it pertains to teacher compensation.

In both the short- and long-term, SAI favors legislation, policy, and public support that will not only provide improved compensation for educators but will also foster the respect for the education profession that is deserved. Only when we can do this, will we be able to have adequate numbers of quality individuals educating Iowa children.

Pre-Kindergarten Programs and Early Literacy

SAI supports a focus on early literacy, including fully funding Pre-K programs

Early Literacy programs provide children with a strong foundation for future literacy achievement. They help children develop oral language skills, an understanding of the alphabetic principle, and knowledge of print concepts. Early literacy programs also help children be kindergarten-ready, so they enter school ready to learn. In addition, successful early literacy/PK programs have a positive impact on community economic development and workforce issues. SAI supports a focus on early literacy, including fully funding Pre-K programs. Ideally, all PK students would be funded at the 1.0 level, but an emphasis specifically on students who live below the poverty level would be key.

Funding Equity

SAI supports efforts to make all school funding as equitable as possible from all perspectives, including socioeconomic status and at-risk factors.

Iowa’s educational system was founded on the premise of equity for all students in the state, regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status. To that end, SAI supports legislation and funding that will make and allow that to happen. The Transportation Equity and the District Cost Per Pupil equity legislation put in place in recent years are excellent examples of this and are to be commended. But, we need to continue to make strides regarding the DCPP, to reach equity in that area eventually. Additional legislation is needed in other areas of existing inequity.

  • Dropout Prevention/At-Risk Cap
    The percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch has increased dramatically in many districts after the date the Dropout Prevention/At-Risk cap was put in place. Additionally, many districts are using this funding source to directly support mental health services for their students. Dropout Prevention funding is currently based on the total enrollment count, not the percentage of students at risk. Although flexibility for the use of DoP funds has been legislatively expanded, DoP funding is still limited to 2.5% of the total regular program district cost for many districts. The current disparity in this funding mechanism is arbitrary and based on a history that is no longer relevant to supporting student needs, and all districts should be granted the option of flexibility to increase their DoP to 5% with board approval and community input.

    SAI supports allowing ALL school districts to establish Dropout Prevention funding at the 5% level.

  • Funding Formula
    Socioeconomic status does not limit any individual student. However, districts with large numbers of students in poverty have unique needs that require additional resources.

    SAI supports the inclusion of socioeconomic status in the school foundation formula.     Additional funding for districts with higher percentages of students living in poverty will help those districts meet the unique needs of those children.

  • Categorical funding
    Not all categorical funds are allocated at the same amount per student in all districts. In actuality, most of the categorical funds differ in per-pupil amounts. These should be allocated at the same amount per student.

    SAI believes that the best financial decisions are made at the point closest to the actual process. We believe in local control of decision-making, particularly at the school board and administrator level. 

Mental Health

SAI supports efforts that are solution-focused regarding mental health issues with children.

The state has taken some important steps in addressing the critical mental health needs of students. Therapeutic Classroom grants, provider loan forgiveness programs, telehealth expansion and other pieces of legislation are a start toward improving these services for children. This work does not go far enough to address the continuing mental health needs of children. SAI supports a comprehensive look at the growing mental health needs in the state of Iowa and the funding and implementation of external support for students with mental health issues. SAI urges the Legislature to continue to build on and encourage public/private partnerships in this endeavor.

Suggested specific steps:

  • Form a Task Force to study potential solutions for increasing mental health issues in students.
  • Provide additional funding for training of school staff related to dealing with violent behavior and mental illness in schools (HF 604 linked)
  • Increase funding for Therapeutic Classrooms, and adjust the process/timeline for grant-making/availability of funds.

Education Savings Accounts

SAI encourages legislation to address issues presented by the ESA program, including transparency, transportation, and funding returning to public schools.

SAI recognizes the legislation created by HF 68 in the 2023 session. While the organization fundamentally disagrees with public funds being directed to private school entities, the legislation is a reality. With that said, several issues can and should be addressed concerning the ESA system. Issues around transparency of policy and use of funds, transfer of unused funds back to the public schools, and funds allocated to non-public transportation expectations should be corrected. Also, SAI strongly encourages that there be NO expansion of the ESA program beyond its current scope.

Area Education Agency System Support Statement

SAI supports the ever-adapting and improving statewide AEA system and the students, parents and staff that they serve.

The Area Education Agency System was created to assist school districts in educating students and to provide all students access to all required services. AEA staff and programs serve as monitors for Department of Education requirements, consultants for academic programs, suppliers of curricular materials as well as Professional Development programs, and provide technology support for school districts across the state. Most importantly, the AEAs provide direct support to special needs students, in disciplines that the vast majority of school districts are unable to provide, in positions such as Speech and Language Pathologists, Occupational and Physical Therapists, Audiology Specialists, and more. Students with Individualized Education Programs require specific and unique services that are provided by or overseen by AEA staff.  Changes to the ways that AEAs provide services to students and schools should be made carefully and in collaboration with all affected parties to avoid a reduction or loss of essential services for children that may be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to replace.