Lawmakers say they?re open to more school spending

DES MOINES (AP) ­? Top legislators say Gov. Terry Branstad?s call for increased state spending on education significantly ramps up pressure on a Legislature that this year closed big budget deficits by freezing state school aid.

Lawmakers of both parties say they?re willing to consider bolstering school spending, and hope that a recovering economy will help them with that task.

School spending is now 58 percent of the state budget and both Branstad and top education officials say they?ll push to increase that amount.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said Tuesday he?s willing to consider an increase and notes an improving state economy appears to be strengthening tax collections.

?The state revenues are coming in fairly strongly, said Gronstal. ?We?re certainly open to considering additional resources.?

Gronstal argued the state has about $600 million in a reserve account, and is projected to end this budget year with a surplus of about $400 million.

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, was more cautious but says Republicans are willing to consider higher school spending.

?I think next year is going to be another tight budget year,? said Paulsen. He said one bright spot is a farm economy that appears strong with both crop yields and prices strong.

?It appears that we?re going to have a decent year for agriculture again,? said Paulsen. ?I?m anticipating that agriculture insulates the state to some degree from just a real sluggish or poor economy.?

While Paulsen said there?s pressure to step up school spending, Republicans who control the House have historically been leery of spending increases.

?There?s no doubt that on the financial side of things it?s going to add some pressure, but we?ll just have to fight through that,? said Paulsen.

Pauslen said Branstad is arguing that his package will fundamentally improve education, and that?s a factor to consider.

?If it?s just something that?s going to change the state of education and raise the bar for our kids, then we need to dig deep and find out where we?re going to get that money,? Paulsen said.

Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville, heads the Senate Appropriations Committee, and he made it clear that shifting spending between education programs was off the table.

?I know one place I definitely don?t want to get the money and that?s taking away money any other education operation in the state,? said Dvorsky.

While an improving economy may be generating higher state tax collections, no Republican or Democrat was willing to call for higher taxes to pay for the effort.

?We?ll be working within our current tax structure,? said Dvorsky.

Sen. Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, competing for a Senate leadership post, issued a cautionary note, while saying he can agree to higher school spending.

?Obviously there?s not a bottomless amount of money that the taxpayers of Iowa have to spend,? said Dix. ?Clearly funding education reforms is going to be a priority.?

Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht said the governor will push to use education spending ?in a smarter way,? but conceded the bottom line is more state dollars are needed.

?After evaluating the use of current education funding, more funding will likely be needed to improve our schools and ensure we can recruit the best teachers,? said Albrecht. ?Fifty-eight percent of the state?s budget goes toward schools and that percentage would likely rise.?

Gronstal, who has been in the legislature for 30 years, pointed to historical trends in pushing for boosting school spending.

?If you look historically we?ve been between 58 percent and 62 percent of the state?s budget,? said Gronstal. ?We?re on the low side right now.?

Branstad has not offered details on how much more spending he?ll seek on schools, but has said he?ll have that number before lawmakers convene in January.

Paulsen says he?s reserving judgment until he sees those details.

?We?ll need to see what that is,? said Paulsen. ?We?re going to give it every due consideration.?