The number of applications for Iowa’s new program providing state funding to pay for private school has more than doubled estimates.
A total of 29,025 applications came in for education savings accounts. Each account will be worth around 7,600 dollars in the next school year.
State contractors are still reviewing applications, but of the students approved so far 60% are existing private school students. The rest are looking to switch from a public school.
Lawmakers budgeted $107 million to provide ESAs in the first year, but there is no limit on what the state will spend to fund the program.
The final cost will depend on how many students are approved and are able to enroll in a private school.
According to the governor’s office, private schools have reported they have 9,000 open spots.
Planned Parenthood officials are urging abortion rights supporters to come to the Iowa Capitol next week to speak out against abortion bans.
Governor Kim Reynolds is asking lawmakers to return to Des Moines on Tuesday for a special legislative session to restrict abortion. It’s not clear what law they’ll pass.
Officials with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa says polling has shown a growing majority of Iowans support legal abortion.
Planned Parenthood officials say they’ll fight any new abortion restrictions in court. The issue could once again end up before the Iowa Supreme Court and could take months to resolve.
UPDATE: The first of two Iowa teenagers who pleaded guilty to beating their high school Spanish teacher to death with a baseball bat was sentenced Thursday to life with a possibility of parole after 35 years in prison.
A judge sentenced Willard Miller after an hourslong sentencing hearing.
A sentencing hearing for the first of two Iowa teenagers who pleaded guilty to fatally beating their high school Spanish teacher with a baseball bat was underway Thursday. Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale pleaded guilty in April to the 2021 attack on Nohema Graber in a park where the 66-year-old teacher regularly walked after school. Prosecutors say the teens were angry at Graber because of a bad grade she'd given Miller. Miller will be the first sentenced after he pleaded guilty as part of an agreement in which prosecutors recommended a term of between 30 years and life in prison, with the possibility of parole.
The monthly survey of business leaders in Iowa and eight other Midwestern states shows the regional economy is still growing, but slowly.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss tells Radio Iowa that June was the fifth straight month where the overall business conditions index was above growth neutral, or 50 on a scale of zero to 100. “We asked the supply managers about the threats to their company and to the economy, and number one, of course, they’re supply managers, and they see supply chain disruptions as a major threat to their business, while three out of ten named labor shortages. So even though the economy is slowing down, businesses out there are still seeing labor availability being a real challenge.”
Submitted news releases:
Iowa’s Students First Education Savings Account program generates more than 29,000 applications
40% of approved applications to date are for students planning to move from public to accredited private schools
DES MOINES – Governor Reynolds has announced that 29,025 K-12 students applied for a Students First Education Savings Account (ESA) during the program’s monthlong application period which closed on June 30.
“The tremendous response from Iowa families demonstrates there’s both a need and a strong desire for school choice in our state,” said Governor Reynolds. “Allowing parents to choose the education that’s best for their children levels the playing field and creates equal opportunities for Iowa’s students.”
The program is part of the governor’s landmark Students First Act which was signed into law in January and promotes school choice by providing ESAs for eligible students who choose to attend accredited private schools in Iowa. Universal eligibility will be phased in over three years. All incoming Kindergarteners and all public-school students are eligible in year one with the start of the 2023-2024 school year. Eligibility for families of children currently enrolled in accredited private schools will be income based over the first two years. During the 2023-2024 school year, private school students with household incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), currently $90,000 or less for a family of four, are eligible. The following year, income eligibility expands to include household incomes up to 400% FPL, currently $120,000 or less for a family of four. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, all K-12 students in Iowa are eligible regardless of income.
This year, ESAs will be funded with $7,635—the same amount appropriated by the state to support the education of each public-school student during the 2023-2024 academic year. The funds must first be used to pay tuition and fees; remaining balances can then be used to cover other approved educational expenses or held for subsequent school years.
To date, 17,481 ESA applications have been approved. The remaining applications are pending additional review. The state has 30 days following the close of the application period to complete the review process and determine the eligibility status of all pending applications.
Of the applications approved at this time:
- 40% are for students planning to move from public to accredited private schools, while 60% are for students already attending accredited private schools whose families qualify based on income eligibility for the upcoming school year (at or below 300% federal poverty level (FPL), or up to $90,000 for a family of four).
- The average net household income for ESA applicants planning to move from public to accredited private schools is $128,507 (more than 400% FPL); and $62,199 for private school applicants.
- 14% of applicants have household incomes less than 100% FPL (less than $30,000 for a family of four); 31% have incomes ranging from 101% to 200% FPL (above $30,000 and up to $60,000 for a family of four); 36% range from 201% to 300% FPL (above $60,000 and up to $90,000 for a family of four); the remaining 19% are above 300% FPL (above $90,000 for a family of four).
In addition to applying and being approved for an ESA, families must separately apply to the accredited private school of their choice and, if accepted, update their ESA account indicating the school their child plans to attend. Then, the school is able to invoice the family for tuition and fees through their ESA account. Once parents approve the payment, funds are transferred from the ESA account and payment is made to the school. ESA funds remain in the state’s possession until a student’s parent or guardian approves payment to the school.
Approved ESA accounts may be funded as soon as July 15. The first payment from an ESA must be used for tuition and fees to an Iowa accredited private school.
If a student is approved for an ESA but does not attend an accredited private school by September 30, the ESA account will be closed for the school year. The funds remain with the state and are returned to the general fund.
The final number of ESA program participants and other program details will not be available until certified school enrollment numbers are finalized later this fall.
Governor Pillen Issues Disaster Declaration for Boyd County
LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has issued a disaster declaration for Boyd County, in the aftermath of a damaging storm. Heavy rain resulted in severe flooding on June 23 and 24, 2023, taking a toll on local roads, bridges, culverts and sanitary sewer pipes.
The declaration allows for use of the Governor’s Emergency Fund, established under the authority of the Nebraska Emergency Management Act, to address repairs and debris removal. Damage to affected areas is estimated at $1.2 million.
Per Neb. Rev. Stat. §81-829.40(3), the Governor is required to sign a State of Emergency Proclamation before the fund is available for use. The proclamation, effective July 1, is attached.
RAGBRAI Brings Two New Murals to Sioux City
When the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) starts its 50th anniversary ride from Sioux City later this month, it will bring not only thousands of cyclists into town, but also an artist and two new murals.
Central Iowa artist Isaac Campbell will work with local volunteers to install two large temporary murals, each approximately 10 feet by 10 feet, on the south wall of the Tyson Events Center and Long Lines Family Rec Center at 401 Gordon Dr.
Using a glue made of flour, sugar, and water, Campbell will employ a wheat paste technique to develop two art installations showcasing historic photographs—one of Junior League of Sioux City members from 1934 and the other of Sioux City’s Interocean Wheel Club, which started in the 1890s as cycling gained popularity in the region.
Along with the public art he’s creating in Sioux City, Campbell will also craft wheat paste murals in each of RAGBRAI L’s overnight towns: Storm Lake, Carroll, Ames, Des Moines, Tama/Toledo, Coralville, and Davenport.
“All across this year’s RAGBRAI route, I wanted to have murals that celebrate the sport of bicycling in Iowa, the communities supporting this event, and the riders who are connecting to the long history of bicycling in Iowa,” said Campbell. “I also wanted to involve locals because there are very few public art forms that invite people to be part of the process.”
On July 22, Campbell and area volunteers will begin mid-day and complete both murals in conjunction with the RAGBRAI Expo held from noon to 9 p.m. at the Tyson Events Center. Open to all riders plus the general public, this free kickoff celebration will feature over 60 industry vendors, the RAGBRAI outlet tent, official bike shops, food vendors, a beer garden, and live entertainment, along with installation of the murals.
Funded by a grant from the Iowa Arts Council, Campbell’s wheat paste murals were well received at RAGBRAI events in Webster City and Anamosa in 2021. After that, Campbell connected with RAGBRAI planners to propose adding these unique murals into the ride’s 50th anniversary celebration. According to Campbell, the wheat paste technique is perfect for RAGBRAI because it allows communities to add public art in an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly way. Most murals last three to six months before breaking down naturally; some may endure up to a year or two.
Images chosen for Sioux City RAGBRAI’s new temporary murals were provided by the Sioux City Journal and the Sioux City Public Museum, which is also hosting a special RAGBRAI exhibit through Sept. 24
Missouri River Historical Development (MRHD) and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City are the main sponsors for Sioux City RAGBRAI L.
For the latest information about RAGBRAI in Sioux City, explore www.ragbraisiouxcity.com and follow on social media at Facebook @siouxcityragbrai, Twitter @scragbrai, and Instagram @siouxcityragbrai.
This image, courtesy of the Sioux City Public Museum, features Sioux City’s Interocean Wheel Club which started in the 1890s. The boy pictured in the front row is George Meierstein, who later became a famous racer. Lying on the ground in front center is Clyde Davis; the boy at the right is F.B. Ashley. Middle row, from left: Frank Monfort, William Bowser, an unidentified man, Art Hughson, George Brooks, and Stanley Johnson. Back row, from left: Andy Lagger, Will Duncan, Alf Hills, Tom Rae, W.J. Ashley, Charlie Ellis, Johnny Lesenich, Charles Miller, Charles Hughson, an unidentified man, and Charles Ashley.
This Sioux City Journal photo from 1934 shows four local society women identified as Mrs. Howard V. (Leone) Martin (1895-1940), Mrs. T.R. (Eunice) Gittins (1895-1989), Mrs. Judson E. Packard (1892-1948), and Mrs. W. Bronson (Dorothy) Palmer (1906-1953). They were married to prominent men at the time, including a T.S. Martin Department Store heir, doctor, dentist, and part-owner of the Palmer Candy Company, which still exists today. All were members of the Junior League of Sioux City, a women’s leadership organization dedicated to promoting volunteerism in Siouxland.
United Way of Siouxland to host Pickleball for a Purpose on August 9
(Sioux City, IA) – United Way of Siouxland is kicking off their annual campaign by hosting a tournament for one of the fastest growing sports in Siouxland and across the country: pickleball.
Pickleball for a Purpose will be starting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, August 9 at The Arena Sports Academy, 4501 Southern Hills Dr. Combining elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, pickleball has been growing in popularity for how simple and fun the game is.
Teams of two, ages 18 and older, will compete in the tournament based on their skill level.
Team registration is open and sponsorship opportunities are available. Each player will receive a tournament t-shirt, and medals will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams in each division. The registration fee for a team of two players is just $60.
Tournament details and registration can be found at www.unitedwaysiouxland.com/pickleball
The fun filled tournament will help support United Way as they fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our community. Last year, United Way of Siouxland provided over 30,500 services to Siouxlanders through 59 local programs.
For more information about United Way of Siouxland, please call 712-255-3551 or visit www.unitedwaysiouxland.com.
