The Iowa Senate recently passed a bill that better defines a specific expenditure for public school districts. 

District 24 Senator Jesse Green (R-Boone) says they passed Senate File 251 that would limit, in a school district’s general fund, the “administrative expenditures” to no more than five-percent. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that since 1993, the number of teachers in Iowa has increased by 25-percent, whereas all other school staff positions have grown to over 60-percent. Green points out that only one-third of the general fund is going to classroom teachers and the other funds are being spent on top heavy things. He adds despite there already being a law on the books, he felt this bill was needed.

“There seems to be adjustments that need to be made. I mean when you look at the history of teacher/administrative/student ratio things have definitely gotten top heavy in the last 20 years. That’s our goal is just to try to corral that a little bit and make sure that this doesn’t continue to skyrocket as far as what they’re spending on staff.”

Green says an amendment was made to the legislation, prior to it being approved by the full Senate, to not include librarians, nurses, transportation, nutrition, information technology positions. The bill would include “salaries for administrators and office staff, school administration, general administration, and data processing and collection services.” Green adds another part of the bill states that school districts with under 1,000 student enrollment do not have to adhere to these changes.

However, Greene County School District Superintendent Brett Abbotts doesn’t believe the amendment that Green talked about exists, and that those positions would be added to the law. 

“If it does pass it could mean that school districts would be forced to start cutting out some of those positions that are, what I would consider essential services for schools to continue to function well and function properly. It makes a few of us a little bit nervous as to how we would continue to offer the same quality of education and the quality of service that we do for all of our students.”    

Abbotts adds the district is currently at 1.1-percent of their total budget for 14 what are considered as administrative positions and if the bill becomes law, the percentage would increase to almost 11-percent. The bill is in the House for consideration and must make it through a committee in order for it to remain “live” following the second funnel week this week.

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=90&ba=SF251