In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

  • Iowa
  • Jeffrey A. Fletcher (bio) and Jan Friedel (bio)

background

The 2nd session of the 88th General Assembly began on January 13, 2020, then became suspended on March 19, 2020, but before doing so, passed SF 2408 and was signed by the governor to provide immediate emergency measures, supplemental appropriations, and a waiver for instructional time requirements for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools for the remainder of the school year. The Governor's ongoing priorities and program initiatives for FYs 2020 and 2021 include the ongoing "Future Ready Iowa" initiative, educating Iowa children for the knowledge economy, supporting strong and healthy families, empowering rural Iowa, and providing second chances1.

funding priorities for p-12 and higher education

P–12 Education

Many programs were funded at the same level as last year and did not include programmatic changes (i.e., status quo).

HF 26292 Future Ready Iowa

Designed to strengthen Iowa's workforce, the bill has five divisions. Division I: Future ready Iowa apprenticeship development program provides financial assistance to encourage sponsors of apprenticeships programs to maintain apprenticeship programs in high demand occupations. Division II: Iowa child care challenge fund provides matching state funding to encourage businesses, nonprofits, and other partners to establish or expand child care facilities. Division III: Computer science instruction expands access to all K–12 students. Division IV: Future ready Iowa skilled workforce last dollar scholarship program expands eligibility for program. Division V: Senior year plus program and postsecondary enrollment options expand opportunities for high school students to earn college credit without families paying for concurrent enrollment.

Community Colleges

HF 2643 represents the FY21 continuing appropriations budget bill for the 2020 legislative session. The bill keeps "status quo" funding for all state agencies and Community Colleges at the same level of funding appropriated in the FY20. Funding allocations for community colleges are as follows: Community College General Aid of $208.7M, [End Page 280] vocational-technical tuition grant program of $1.75M, skilled workforce shortage grants of $5.0M, GAP tuition assistance program of $2M, workforce development fund of $3M, ACE Infrastructure fund of $6M, WTED of $15.1M, adult literacy programs of $6.0M, PACE career pathways program of $5.0M, work-based learning network program of $1.50M, nonpublic school concurrent enrollment payments of $1.0M, and Future Ready Iowa Skilled Workforce Grant of $1.0M. State funding per-pupil is $2,501, and state funding per-pupil for private colleges is $4,4603.

Board of Regents

Overall, the Regents received a 2.70 percent increase in total appropriations from FY 19 to FY 20. In FY 20, the Regents received a lump-sum increase of $12.0M for the three universities' operating budgets. However, due to COVID-19, state appropriations remained flat as the governor revised FY 21 estimates: Board of Regents General funding from State General Fund include University of Iowa ($218.71M; 0.0 percent YoY), Iowa State University ($174.62M; 0.0 percent YoY), and University of Northern Iowa ($99.71M; 0.0 percent YoY). State funding per-pupil for regents institutions is $10,7704.

changes to the funding formula for p-12 or higher education

From FY 19 to FY 20, there were no changes to the funding formula for P–12 or higher education.

pressing state issues affecting p-12 or higher education funding

COVID-19

Through May 21, 2020, the Federal grant awards to Iowa's state agencies totaled $2.18B to address a variety of expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic; $6.9 million from the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund has been reserved for institutions of Higher Education.

SF 23105

Provides flexibility for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools that submit a Return-to-Learn Plan; any Return-to-Learn Plan must include provisions for in-person instruction and in-person instruction as the presumed instruction (>50.0 percent instruction time).

HF 26436 Appropriations

Appropriated a status quo budget for the Department. The bill includes nonpublic concurrent enrollment reversion/non-reversing language, allowing funds to carry forward between fiscal years, except for FY 21; this will allow dollars to carry forward from FY 20 to...

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