Letter to the Editor: Support Iowa’s public schools November 6

To the Editor:

What is happening to Iowa’s public schools? Each year, the governor and state lawmakers cut the amount of funding to schools and now drastic changes may soon have to be made. The tax breaks given to large corporations recently mean there’s less money available to the state, but do our schoolchildren have to pay for those losses?

Schools have received funding increases of only 1.1 and 1 percent over the past two years - far below the four percent cost of living index! How will they be forced to make up the difference? Cutting staff? Consolidating even more?

Maybe Iowa’s governor and her political party now in control of the legislature think Iowans no longer value a strong education. Many of the legislators in the governor’s party have supported school vouchers, which would reduce money to public schools even more. Their candidate for state representative for District 56 home schooled her children, which indicates public education was not important to her.

Fortunately, there is a candidate running to be our state representative who does value public education. She thinks strong public schools are vital to our children’s future and our communities. Communities with great schools prosper and grow economically.

Great schools are important to families who want to live and raise a family in Allamakee. However, great schools do not happen without being fully funded. The governor’s party has failed children and public education. I think we need a change in direction in state government - a change that supports our children and their education.

Angela Blair
Retired Elementary
Classroom, Middle-High School Art Teacher
Iowa Master Teacher
New Albin