Hunter
10/12/24
Iowa Democrats say the recent closure of 16 public schools is directly linked to Governor Kim Reynolds’ private school voucher program.
Iowa Capitol Dispatch reports during a Friday news conference, Democratic legislative leaders said new data from the Iowa Department of Education shows that 16 public schools have closed since the program began, while 36 new private schools have opened.
House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst said many of the public school closures are in rural areas, while many new private schools are in urban and suburban communities. She added the voucher system siphons money away from school districts and gives them less and less money to work with.
When the program reaches its third year in 2025-2026, there will be no income restrictions for parents wishing to take advantage of the program. That means everyone who qualifies will get $7826 per K-12 student to attend private schools.
The Governor’s office pushed back against the claims that the issue of school closures were linked to the ESA program, stating that some of the information put out in the Democrats news release was inaccurate. Deputy Communications Director Mason Mauro said two of the schools cited by Democrats are still open, and accused the party of trying to intentionally mislead Iowans.