Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law requiring school districts to offer a 100-percent in-person learning option for students.

The Iowa Senate passed a bill last week that creates a special scholarship for students to use if they want to go to a different institution.

The bill specifically outlines 34 schools that are needing comprehensive support, according to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. The bill is now in the Iowa House for consideration and Representative for District 20 Ray Sorensen says there has yet to be discussion in his committees on “school vouchers” relating to Senate File 159 that allows parents to use public money to pay private school tuition.

“There was not a voucher piece to that at all. In fact, in our caucus, we haven’t even discussed it. It hasn’t even come up and because of that, it hasn’t come up in (the) education (committee). We will eventually tackle that issue, but it hasn’t even come up in the House.”

Sorensen adds that he understands the funding concept, but that if he had to choose today, he’d vote against any school voucher legislation.

“It gives parents more choice. The money follows the student, not the school. If said public school that you’re going to is working just fine, then obviously the money stays there. If it isn’t, and you wish to take your kid to a different school, the money follows the child. I’m leaning no on it, but I’m trying to keep my powder dry on this and just take in all the information. I’m trying to meet with the school districts, get their opinion and understand the math on everything.”

To hear more from Representative Sorensen, listen to Monday’s and Tuesday’s Let’s Talk Guthrie County programs.