DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Senate Education Subcommittee recommended the amendment and passage of SSB 3073, a bill crafted by Gov. Kim Reynolds to make major changes to Area Education Agencies (AEAs).
However, the House Education Subcommittee is still discussing the next steps of HSB 542 after the public had their first opportunity to share their thoughts.
The bill would move oversight of AEAs to the Iowa Department of Education and would put school districts in control of their own funding.
"The schools control the timeline so there's no timeline, there's no opt in, there's no opt out, there's no 'you got to do it for three years,'" Reynolds said.
In the House subcommittee meeting, there were a number of people speaking in support of the bill, sharing their experiences with AEAs.
"We have a strong special ed staff in our district and they are begging for additional services," said Todd Abrahamson, superintendent of Okoboji Community Schools. "It is my job as a superintendent to provide that service to our staff, to our students and to our parents."
However, those against this legislation spoke about the positive impacts AEAs have had on their students, kids and themselves.
"This could possibly result in unintended consequences: the children using the AEA services will be impacted, I'm concerned for this possibility," said Deb Davis, a member of the Johnston School Board. "Going back to the size of the bill, I would suggest slowing things down a bit. I believe the original bill was 150 pages and the amended 125 pages, the sheer size of the bill requires attention to detail before the time of the funnel and even during the session does not allow for."
One of the biggest concerns among those speaking was the fear that this bill is being rushed. However, Reynolds disagrees with that assessment.
"For 20 years, we have seen the same scores," she said. "How in good faith can we say 'Ope, just kick it down the road. Ope, they'll be okay for another three years. No big deal, let's do a study, let's do a study.' We know what the results are, for 20 years we've known what the results are."
Reynolds also issued a statement in response to the Senate subcommittee's recommendation of passage.
“From the start, my focus has been on improving special education for Iowa’s students with disabilities. I want to thank the Senate Education subcommittee for their willingness to continue the conversation. The amendment reflects feedback from legislators, parents, teachers, and school superintendents, ensuring that AEAs can continue offering the services they do today. If schools like the services provided by their AEA, they can continue to use them. By allowing schools to control their funding, creating efficiencies in the AEA system, and increasing teacher salaries, more money will be infused into our classrooms, so every student receives the quality education they deserve.”