Comment on Iowa governor’s bill would reduce public school funding by millions, analysis says

DES MOINES — Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal to create scholarships for private school tuition would cost the state’s 300-plus public school districts $2.1 million, a fraction of the more than $3 billion the state devotes each year to K-12 public education, according to a nonpartisan state analysis.Critics of the proposal and public school advocates have warned the governor’s proposal amounts to a defunding of public schools and caution the negative impact could be greater than the Legislative Services Agency’s estimate.Under Reynolds’ proposal, taxpayer-funded private school tuition scholarships would be made available to students in public schools that have been identified by a federal program as low-performing and in need of substantial assistance.