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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — At odds over education funding, Iowa lawmakers began meeting Thursday to attempt to find a compromise.
The Republican-majority House and Democratic-controlled Senate are still far apart on how much new money to give schools in the upcoming academic year. House Republicans have advanced a plan that would provide about $100 million in additional funding, while Senate Democrats want to give schools over $200 million.
The joint negotiating committee includes members from both parties, including key leadership figures — Republican House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, Republican House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal.
Both sides dug in Thursday. At a Democratic news conference, Rep. Sharon Steckman of Mason City, said Iowa lags behind other states in per-pupil funding and argued that the Republican plan would require local property tax hikes.
"If education of our half a million kids is truly a priority, then the Republicans need to do better," Steckman said.
A report from the National Education Association estimated that for the 2013-2014 school year, Iowa would spend $9,761 per enrolled student, below the national average of $11,373.
But Rep. Chuck Soderberg, a Republican from Le Mars who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said the House proposal "lives within our ongoing revenue."
Republican Gov. Terry Branstad's budget proposal offers a similar level of school funding to the House Republican plan. All the proposals include money dedicated to teacher leadership training.
Paulsen said he would consider providing more money to schools if Democrats would entertain legislation changing collective bargaining rules to reduce costs. He argued that changes to the process might give districts the ability to limit teacher salary increases.
Still, that suggestion seemed unlikely to advance. Sen. Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames who chairs the Senate Education Committee, said the state's current collective bargaining rules "have worked very well here in Iowa."
About 480,000 students are enrolled in Iowa public schools. Districts are supposed to certify their 2015-2016 budgets by April 15.
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