We are now over a month past the deadline that school districts had to certify their budgets for the 2015-16 school year, and yet State Supplemental Aid hasn’t been determined by the Iowa legislature.

District 47 State Representative Chip Baltimore says last week, an idea was presented to take the House’s 1.25% increase for State Supplemental Aid and add another $55 million from the surplus.  Baltimore doesn’t like using surplus money for ongoing expenses.

“Yes, education funding is important, we only have to keep our eye on the overall ball that we’re looking at which is the entire (budget) picture.  And spending surplus money for ongoing expenditures for schools with the challenges that we have out there right out, I just think is a big risk to take and we need to do so wisely if we’re going to do it.”

Baltimore feels that the surplus is needed for unanticipated expenses, not for ongoing programs and services.

“That we have that cushion (the surplus) there in case we need it.  We don’t know when the next recession is going to come.  We don’t know when the next economic downturn is going to come.  The Bird Flu situation has the potential to be extraordinarily devastating and costly here in the state.”

No formal decision has been made yet by the conference committee.  If no decision is made, then State Supplemental Aid will be set at zero percent.