Meeting Public Comments

Margaret Buckton [Urban Education Network/School Advocates of Iowa]

All districts will be compliant with SF 2310 and minimum instructional time by the end of the school year. All districts have expenses due to the pandemic regardless of instructional model. Both UEN and RSAI are opposed to this bill, although appreciative of the intention to provide funding this year based on increased costs. Increasing the SSA rate by this $29.4 million would go further to promote the purposes of the school funding formula: adequacy, equity and property tax relief. However, if onetime funding is the only option, both organizations support an equal per pupil share regardless of instructional models or length of school days. 1)If in person instruction is valued, funding in the formula will provide the resources to staff up to provide in person instruction in all districts safely with enough substitutes, custodial staff, counselors and social workers to move students and families beyond the pandemic to a level of learning necessary for future success. 2)Iowas neediest students who may have been most impacted by COVID need additional support regardless of the district's instructional model between August and January. 3)The bonus based on days and not hours is out of touch with many school calendars that will meet the minimum of 1,080 hours of instructional time. 4)Many schools offered full time in person to elementary schools while keeping crowded high schools on hybrid. This formula doesnt acknowledge those efforts. 5)All schools will be compliant by the end of the school year with requirements in SF 2310 last June, with the DEs and Governors expectations. 6)Lastly, virtual learning provided instruction to students with educators working hard to engage students. When COVID is behind us, many of the engagement strategies and use of technology in learning will continue to benefit students. That hard work and creativity should be rewarded, not punished. Virtual learning is instructional. This bonus is more aligned to available square footage of school relative to enrollment than any other factor. Nonetheless, virtual learning also required additional investment from school district. 7) Many districts had buildings in different models, elementary full time instruction, middle school hybrid, high school hybrid/virtual. The bill is drafted that if any student wasn't offered full time instruction, none of those days count. 8) Many school districts impacted by the Derecho started late and some virtual due to construction needs. They still had increased costs for technology, teacher training, and will have all of the days and hours caught up later in the year. 9) If funding must be onetime, it should further these principles in the formula and be distributed equitably based on enrollment. Thanks for your time considering the needs of Iowa students and the opportunity to comment.