Updates

The Governor has signed the Education Appropriations bill.  It provides for a $6 million increase in state general aid for community colleges.  This is above the governor's $4.7 million recommendation, but below the $7 million initially approved by the House. 

The bill also includes $1 million for concurrent enrollment between private high schools and community colleges.  The bill sustained the existing level of funding for the Skilled Worker and Job Creation fund programs ( PACE, Kibbie grants, Adult literacy and ESL, Work-based intermediary, GAP tuition assistance and the Workforce Training and Economic Development Fund). Finally, the bill provides $13 million for the Last Dollar Scholarship, which would cover all tuition and mandatory fees for selected programs of study at community colleges.  The legislature provided no funding for the proposed Future Ready Iowa grant, which would assist community college graduates in pursuing a four-year degree. 

The governor signed a measure prohibiting colleges from limiting possession of stun guns. Both houses have approved extending the sales tax for school infrastructure, which includes funding for the development of career academies.  Both chambers passed Senate File 603, which  increases eligibility for concurrent enrollment for students in small districts, but also places a cap of 24 credit hours a student may take before the student must pay tuition, since they are effectively full-time students.