Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds was at the White House Thursday to watch President Donald Trump sign an executive order aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.
Reynolds wrote on X that it was an honor to attend the event. Reynolds says, quote, “Education decisions should be made by those who know students best—parents, teachers, and local communities.”
Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Rita Hart said the executive order puts rural schools and special education programs at risk. Haret said Reynolds’ support of the order shows her, quote, “disdain for Iowa’s public schools.”
Reynolds also announced in an op-ed that she has formally asked the U.S. Education Department to convert certain school funding into a block grant.
Trump on Friday announced he will move the federal student aid program to the Small Business Administration.
*In other education related news, Iowa public schools would be required to let nonpublic school students play on their sports teams if the student’s school doesn’t offer the activity.
The House passed the legislation Wednesday.
The student would have to live in the school district or a bordering district.
And the student’s school has to have gone two years without offering the activity.
Currently, schools can have agreements with other schools – public, private or other –for students to join their sports teams.
Republican Representative Henry Stone said the bill is not aimed at showing favoritism towards nonpublic schools.
Stone said some public schools severed their athletic agreements with nonpublic schools in recent years, after families of private school students began receiving public money.
Opponents of the bill say the proposal is unnecessary and a form of overreach.
*Additionally, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said 40 people who aren’t U.S. citizens voted in the 2024 election—and 35 of those ballots were counted.
More than 1.6 million ballots were cast by Iowa voters.
Pate on Thursday announced his office is sending the names of noncitizens who voted or registered to vote to law enforcement for investigation.
*Across Iowa, the number of students who are not fully vaccinated has risen four straight years.
Public health officials say it’s tied to a rise in vaccine misinformation that snowballed during the pandemic, according to an Iowa Public Radio deep dive.
The mandates came after the Food and Drug Administration gave the vaccine Emergency Use Authorization, a special measure that the FDA can use to approve unauthorized medical products in an emergency.
This caused some people to question whether the COVID vaccine was safe.
The idea that the COVID vaccine may not be safe translated to declining vaccination rates for other vaccines on Iowa's recommended schedule, like the whooping cough and polio vaccines.
The number of under-vaccinated children in the state’s school system has continued to climb.
Mindful of the trend, Elizabeth Faber, coalition director of Iowa Immunizes, is reminding people that vaccines are well-tested and protect vulnerable populations.
*In other news, after moving to $3.01 per gallon in late February, the price of unleaded gas in Iowa has bounced around for the last month, and sits just under $3.
February 19 marked the price being above $3 for the first time since early fall.
Now in the third week of March, the weekly release by AAA shows the average price in Iowa for unleaded self-serve gasoline is $2.98 per gallon.
It has gone down two of the past four weeks, and risen the other two, for a combined reduction of 3 cents per gallon.
The statewide price of $2.98 is 26 cents less than a year ago at this time, and the current national average is $3.10.
Since mid-December, the weekly price has gone up nine times over 14 weeks.
Many Siouxland stations are currently selling unleaded in the wide range from $2.59 to $3.09.
*March 16 to 22 is National Child and Adult Care Food Program Week, and a Siouxland agency is encouraging more childcare providers to take part in a nutrition program.
Community Action Agency of Siouxland, in Sioux City, is the agency that has provided CACFP since 1981 in Woodbury, Plymouth, Cherokee, and Ida counties.
Katie Logan, of Community Action Agency of Siouxland, said only 38 out of 91 eligible childcare providers in Woodbury County actively participate in CACFP.
Logan said the Child and Adult Care Food Program is very worthwhile, because it provides reimbursements for meals and snacks, and gives training to child care providers in serving nutritious meals.
