Iowa school districts begin committing AEA funds ahead of upcoming school year
Theron Schutte, the superintendent of Marshalltown community schools, said the district will commit all of the available educational services funding for AEA use.
Theron Schutte, the superintendent of Marshalltown community schools, said the district will commit all of the available educational services funding for AEA use.
Theron Schutte, the superintendent of Marshalltown community schools, said the district will commit all of the available educational services funding for AEA use.
Less than two months after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the AEA reform bill into law, some Iowa school districts are making critical choices about funding the agencies.
Statewide, there will be no changes to special education services in the upcoming school year.
However, districts do need to decide how they will allocate money for other educational needs and media services like technology and mental health.
Districts get 60% of the funding, while 40% will go to the AEAs.
Central Rivers AEA supports 53 public school districts — including Marshalltown.
Theron Schutte, the superintendent of Marshalltown community schools, said the district will commit all of the available educational services funding for AEA use.
However, the district has decided to not pledge any funds towards media services.
"The board has approved our recommendation, which is to commit 100% of the educational services dollars to the AEA and 0% currently of the media dollars until we do further research," Schutte said.
Central Rivers AEA's Chief Administrator Joel Pedersen said the new law has some districts considering how they'll handle the money.
"While we always hear a lot of feedback that [districts appreciate our services], there are districts that are going through different things," he said. "And now that they have this opportunity to use money for general fund purposes, it is making those decisions a little more challenging."
Starting in the fall of 2025, 10% of districts' AEA budgets will go to special education funds.
The rest of the AEA budgets can then be allocated however the districts would like.
In a statement, the governor's office told vlog the new AEA legislation opens up access to $42 million that schools never had access to before.
Central Rivers said as of Monday over 50% of its districts have responded with their funding designations.
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