Iowans sound off on school choice in packed subcommittee hearing

Debate over school choice returns to the Iowa statehouse for the third consecutive year. Thursday's Senate Education Subcommittee Hearing was the public's first opportunity this session to share their thoughts with lawmakers.

Debate over school choice returns to the Iowa statehouse for the third consecutive year. Thursday's Senate Education Subcommittee Hearing was the public's first opportunity this session to share their thoughts with lawmakers.

WEDDING. STACY, ANDREW, THANK YOU. NEW AT SIX, IT WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY INSIDE THE STATE HOUSE AS IOWANS PACKED THE CAPITOL TO GIVE THEIR INPUT ON GOVERNOR REYNOLDS. CONTROVERSIAL SCHOOL CHOICE PLAN. HUNDREDS MORE WAITED FOR THE CHANCE TO SPEAK ONLINE. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS CALLS THIS PLAN A TOP PRIORITY. AND REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS WANT TO GIVE FAMILIES WHO SWITCH FROM A PUBLIC SCHOOL TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL. NEARLY 70 $600 TO HELP PAY FOR THAT CHANGE. THE BILL WOULD ALSO GIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS 1200 DOLLARS TO OFFSET THE LOSS. BUT PARENTS ARE SPLIT ON WHETHER THE ISSUE IS GOOD FOR STUDENTS OR JUST BAD FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ��vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER WAS INSIDE THAT PACKED MEETING FOR US THIS AFTERNOON. AMANDA, A LOT OF EMOTION ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS DEBATE. ABSOLUTELY. STACEY AND JAMES AND THAT EMOTION, THE CONTROVERSY, THE PASSION OVER THIS SCHOOL CHOICE ISSUE HAS BEEN BUILDING FOR YEARS IN IOWA AS LAWMAKERS HAVE TRIED TO PASS THIS SCHOOL CHOICE PLAN FOR YEARS AND HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, GOVERNOR REYNOLDS HAS SAID THIS IS HER TOP PRIORITY THIS SESSION. AND TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HEARD THIS SESSION FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. WE HEARD FROM PARENTS, FROM TEACHERS, FROM SCHOOL STAFF, FROM STUDENTS TO GRANDPARENT. AND AS YOU SAID, THEY ARE SPLIT. THEY WERE INCREDIBLY DIVIDED OVER WHETHER THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S GOING TO HURT OR HELP ALL STUDENTS IN IOWA. THIS IS 70 $500 THAT COULD BE USED TO PURCHASE SUPPLIES, TRAINED TEACHERS, HIGHER SCHOOL COUNSELORS, OR GO ON FIELD TRIPS, MAKE SCHOOL SAFER, OR ANY NUMBER OF THE THINGS THAT BENEFIT ALL STUDENTS IN THE DISTRICT. INSTEAD, ESSAYS TAKE THAT MONEY AND USE IT FOR ONE STUDENT’S BENEFIT. WE SPEND 56% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET ON PUBLIC AND PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND SOMEHOW THE PERCEPTION IS THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE UNDERFUNDED, BASED IN AT NUMBER. I DISAGREE. THE GOVERNOR SAID IN HER SPEECH THAT OTHER STATES DO BETTER WITH LESS SCHOOL CHOICE WILL NOT TO FUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THIS IS A WIN WIN FOR BOTH ENTITIES AND THOSE WERE JUST A COUPLE OF THE PERSPECTIVES OUT OF THE MANY, MANY PEOPLE THAT SHARED THEIR VOICES TODAY. THE NEXT STEPS FOR THIS BILL THAT DID PASS OUT OF THE SENATE SOME COMMITTEE HEARING TODAY. BUT THERE IS STILL A LONG ROAD AHEAD. IT STILL HAS TO GO TO THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND THEN IT HAS TO GO TO THE FULL SENATE FOR DEBATE AND VOTE. THEN THE HOUSE HAS TO GO ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE HOUSE SIDE AND WORK ITS WAY THROUGH AGAIN. NOTE THE HOUSE IS AWARE OF THIS BILL IN PAST YEARS HAS STALLED. SO WE WILL BE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THIS BILL AS IT WORKS ITS WAY ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SYSTEM. WE’LL BRING YOU ANY UPDATES ON THIS SCHOOL CHOICE BILL AS THEY COME ALIVE IN THE STAT

Iowans sound off on school choice in packed subcommittee hearing

Iowans packed the statehouse Thursday for a chance to share their thoughts on Governor Reynold's school choice bill.Thursday's Senate Education Subcommittee Hearing was the first opportunity for members of the public to weigh in on the bill. Dozens spoke before the 90-minute hearing ended, with dozens more still waiting in line. Hundreds waited for the chance to speak online. The bill did pass the subcommittee hearing. It still needs to pass through the Senate Education Committee and a full Senate vote. It would then go through the same process over again in the Iowa House. If passed, the plan would deposit $7,598 into an education savings account each year for any K-12 student who switches from public to private school. That money usually goes to a student's public school district. But under Reynolds' plan, families who switch to private schools would get that money instead to pay for expenses like tuition, tutoring, and textbooks."As proposed these would allow $7,500 per pupil per year to be used for private school tuition. This is $7,500 that can be used to purchase supplies, train teachers, hire school counselors, field trips, make schools safer or any number of the things that benefit all students in the district," Amanda Atkins, an opponent of the bill, said. "Instead ESAs take that money and use it for one student's benefit."Districts will receive $1,205 for each student that switches to private school. Iowa public schools would also receive new money for students in their district who already attend private schools and receive Education Savings Accounts. Former Carlisle School Board Member Samantha Fett spoke at Thursday's hearing in support of the bill. "We spend 56% of our total budget on public education and somehow perception is that public schools are underfunded. Based on that number, I disagree," she said. "The governor said in her speech that other states do better with less. School choice will not defund public schools. This is a win-win for both entities."Watch: School choice bill moves forward

DES MOINES, Iowa —

Iowans packed the statehouse Thursday for a chance to share their thoughts on Governor Reynold's

Thursday's Senate Education Subcommittee Hearing was the first opportunity for members of the public to weigh in on the bill. Dozens spoke before the 90-minute hearing ended, with dozens more still waiting in line. Hundreds waited for the chance to speak online.

The bill did pass the subcommittee hearing. It still needs to pass through the Senate Education Committee and a full Senate vote. It would then go through the same process over again in the Iowa House.

If passed, the plan would deposit $7,598 into an education savings account each year for any K-12 student who switches from public to private school.

That money usually goes to a student's public school district. But under Reynolds' plan, families who switch to private schools would get that money instead to pay for expenses like tuition, tutoring, and textbooks.

"As proposed these would allow $7,500 per pupil per year to be used for private school tuition. This is $7,500 that can be used to purchase supplies, train teachers, hire school counselors, field trips, make schools safer or any number of the things that benefit all students in the district," Amanda Atkins, an opponent of the bill, said. "Instead ESAs [Educational Savings Accounts] take that money and use it for one student's benefit."

Districts will receive $1,205 for each student that switches to private school. Iowa public schools would also receive new money for students in their district who already attend private schools and receive Education Savings Accounts.

Former Carlisle School Board Member Samantha Fett spoke at Thursday's hearing in support of the bill.

"We spend 56% of our total budget on public education and somehow [the] perception is that public schools are underfunded. Based on that number, I disagree," she said. "The governor said in her speech that other states do better with less. School choice will not defund public schools. This is a win-win for both entities."

Watch: School choice bill moves forward

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Iowans sound off on school choice in packed subcommittee hearing

Debate over school choice returns to the Iowa statehouse for the third consecutive year. Thursday's Senate Education Subcommittee Hearing was the public's first opportunity this session to share their thoughts with lawmakers.

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