From the Desk of Senator Blake

Even with taking a day off on Monday for legislators to participate in their local caucuses, it was an eventful week. Due to the near record number of bills introduced by legislators, we are frantically holding committee hearings to keep pace. I sat on some meetings for bills that will be good for the state of Iowa, such as new laws to combat human trafficking. Other meetings circled around complex issues with no clear answers, such as procedures and transparency for selling municipal water utilities.

One of the most controversial issues this week was school funding. You will find more info below, but Iowa Senate Republicans have introduced a school funding increase of only 1.75%, which is well below inflation.

We are now reaching a point where public schools are making tough decisions. These are not theoretical cuts; the cuts are impacting our community and children. At a recent public forum, Urbandale School Board President, Margaret Young, stated that 21 positions will be cut in the school system with just a 2% increase. This is just one of many examples we are hearing across the state.

This is wrong. Public schools and education are the foundation of our state. We all agree that we need to work to make our schools better, but cutting of positions or programs does not benefit our children. We expect schools to do more with less, but that is not fair to our educators or our children’s future. This is unsustainable.

I often hear up at the Capitol, "how much money do schools truly need?" I think the answer is clear. Enough to avoid cuts and provide for our children.

Public education should be a priority

For nearly a decade now, Iowa’s public schools have been asked to do more with less. They’ve been asked to shoulder the responsibility of teaching the vast majority of Iowa kids – over 90% of all students in the state – while costs rise and state funding lags.

It is clear, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that public education is no longer a priority for the majority party here in Iowa.

This week, Senate Republicans advanced SSB 3100 through the Senate Education Committee. This bill would set the annual increase in state funding for Iowa’s public schools at 1.75%. (To put that in perspective, the U.S. inflation rate is currently hovering at around 2.7%.) This number means one thing: cuts.

Schools will be forced to cut teacher positions. Districts will cut programs. We’ll see school consolidation and larger class sizes – some districts have even talked about combining entire grade levels. At these proposed funding levels, some school districts won’t be able to meet the new minimum teacher salary requirements the legislature passed a couple of years ago.

This severe underfunding isn’t new, unfortunately, and neither are the consequences. After years of Republican control, many school districts can’t afford simple cost-of-living increases for their personnel. Some districts no longer interview the most qualified teaching candidates, because the district knows the candidate is unaffordable. When schools can’t afford enough teachers, students lose access to the individual attention that can lead to significant growth and development.

Without proper funding, students lose access to beloved programs. In Boone, for example, a 100-year-old school orchestra program was recently terminated for lack of funding. In other school districts, STEM teachers aren’t replaced, so programs designed to prepare students for the future fall behind. When schools can’t afford a full-time language teacher, online instruction is used as an insufficient substitute.

We don’t know what the final school funding number will be. Senate Republicans’ number is different than the governor’s, and House Republicans haven’t introduced their plan yet. What we do know is that these Republican proposals would all see our kids fall even further behind.

We know that for the current school year, Iowa’s level of state funding per student falls $1,000 behind inflation.

We know what schools, teachers, and parents have told us: this is not enough.

We know that Iowa kids deserve much better.

Quick Updates

February is Black History Month! The century-old celebration recognizes the importance of Black history, culture, and education. For history buffs, here are some great stories about Black history in Iowa: from Sioux City, to Buxton, to Waterloo.

Iowa Legislative Black and Brown Democratic Caucus: A legislative caucus first founded in 2014 expanded this year to welcome an expanded membership and promote their goals of protecting civil rights, building economic opportunities, and expanding access to healthcare and education. You can read more about the Caucus here.

Real ID started February 1: If you do not have a Real ID – the gold star on your driver’s license – it will now cost an extra $45 dollars to fly. The rule applies to all passengers over the age of 18 and those without the Real ID will need to show proof of payment before getting in the airport security line. Payment is good for ten days, so those with travel plans longer than ten days will need to pay more than once. To get your Real ID, visit the Iowa Department of Transportation’s website.

Layoffs shrink access to healthcare: This week, MercyOne announced 34 employees in the North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City would be laid off in March. This follows previous announcements that MercyOne would let go 67 Des Moines-based employees in March and 40 workers in Ottumwa would lose their jobs when the clinic closes later this month. These layoffs, which are a product of federal funding cuts, will leave many Iowans with diminished access to the healthcare they need.

Two important upcoming Medicare deadlines:

Iowans currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan have until March 31, 2026, to change Medicare Advantage Plans or return to Original Medicare through the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period.
Iowans whose Part D or Medicare Advantage plans were cancelled at the end of 2025 have until February 28, 2026, to enroll in a new plan.
Iowans seeking assistance with these changes can reach out to the Iowa Insurance Division’s SHIIP for free, confidential, and unbiased one-on-one counseling. Residents can find a local counselor by calling 1-800-351-4664 or checking a list of local sites at https://shiip.iowa.gov/find-resources/find-counselor.

Student art contest: The Iowa DNR and Wildlife Forever encourages Iowans ages 5-18 to enter in the Iowa Songbird and Fish Art Contests! The submission deadline for the 2026 Iowa Fish Art Contest is February 28, 2026. For more information on rules and submission guidelines and to submit artwork visit Iowa Fish Art Contest.

Paint Iowa Beautiful provides grant recipients free paint to support a wide range of public service and community betterment projects, from restoring park shelters and historic landmarks to brightening main street facades and public murals. Applications are due by Feb. 12 here: https://keepiowabeautiful.org/grants-scholarships/grants/paint-iowa-beautiful/

February is CTE Month: Throughout February, schools will highlight achievements in career and technical education programs. To find out more and to help raise awareness of the importance of CTE programs in Iowa please visit: https://www.acteonline.org/cte-month/

This Week in the Capitol

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