Reynolds’ voucher program will cost Iowa taxpayers over $200 million in year two

[MitchLL]

Riley, you are easy peasy. Mitch is a bit more challenging. Go back to Airplane.

The reason I'm a "bit more challenging", as you say, is because I have a very good understanding of what Reynold's motivation is for this entire attack on public school funding and how she intends to dismantle certain segments.

I will also include that she is very bitter that certain educators and administrators make more $$$ than she does.
She literally walked into the offices of a few Iowa high school Superintendents last summer with a folder containing the salaries of some State employees and asked them "Do you think it's right that X, Y, and Z are making more than you and me"? Some of those Superintendents relayed their conversations with the Governor.
BTW...her salary is approximately $130k.
No bullshit. She is one, bitter bitch.

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

The reason I'm a "bit more challenging", as you say, is because I have a very good understanding of what Reynold's motivation is for this entire attack on public school funding and how she intends to dismantle certain segments.

I will also include that she is very bitter that certain educators and administrators make more $$$ than she does.
She literally walked into the offices of a few Iowa high school Superintendents last summer with a folder containing the salaries of some State employees and asked them "Do you think it's right that X, Y, and Z are making more than you and me"? Some of those Superintendents relayed their conversations with the Governor.

No bullshit.

Thx for the explanation (and I would never vote for her).

 

[RileyHawk]

Peas off the same pod I guess

Do you not understand Far Side sometimes? You view the entire world as right/left or black/white. Simple but not complex. Take that how you want. I know how I meant it.

Lol - thanks for demonstrating my point.

 

[Tom Paris]

The reason I'm a "bit more challenging", as you say, is because I have a very good understanding of what Reynold's motivation is for this entire attack on public school funding and how she intends to dismantle certain segments.

I will also include that she is very bitter that certain educators and administrators make more $$$ than she does.
She literally walked into the offices of a few Iowa high school Superintendents last summer with a folder containing the salaries of some State employees and asked them "Do you think it's right that X, Y, and Z are making more than you and me"? Some of those Superintendents relayed their conversations with the Governor.
BTW...her salary is approximately $130k.
No bullshit. She is one, bitter bitch.

That’s terrible.

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

Lol - thanks for demonstrating my point.

OK, that's funny....

 

[Jerome Silberman]

Well actually I do stay on topic but my humor is something like Newhart.

My writing style is like I write professionally (though I don't pay attention to grammar here) designed to make people think. Most of the discussions here aren't discussions but just arguing hard left or MAGA of which I am neither. I get some enjoyment out of getting in the heads of MAGA or hard left. Politically I am neither right or left but have tendency on both sides. Ardently pro life with exceptions that are reasonable. Marched in BLM. In commercial ag, but am more environmentally aware than many.

If you think I am not on topic, think a little deeper or just plain ask. Like a little while ago someone thought I was against older people service in office and I'm not at all, but I took shots at Nancy, Joe and Chuck while digging at h hawk mostly and his stand on Ukraine, which I really have extensively traveled. I am staunchly pro Ukraine but against Joe's and Vlad's war over Donbas.

Dig deeper. Think Newhart with a touch of Far Side. Takes awhile to get Far Side sometimes.

I have asked you to clarify what you're trying to say in the past. It usually has led to something like this where you starting talking about yourself and gloss over the initial question while spinning off into Ukraine. If this is an attempt at humor it's more surreal than David Lynch's most imaginative dreams and equally as impossible to know. Neither of which I would associate with Bob Newhart or Gary Larson, who again have nothing to do with the post you were responding.

 

[MitchLL]

That’s terrible.

BAU for the Dim One.

What's humorous is probably 75% of Iowa Supts make more than Reynolds.

 

[gohawks50]

I work now in higher ed for a Big Ten U and get articles in major ag publications. If you are in ag you've likely read some of my articles. Recently (I didn't write it) I was interviewed by Bloomberg rather extensively. I've been on the front page of yahoo news.

I was thinking of moving closer to my kids in Iowa and looked into teaching. To support my job in higher ed, I manage farms for which I need and have a managing broker's license. Iowa doesn't accept my state's licenses reciprocally so I gave up on it as I didn't want to got through the coursework again for teaching and real estate. There are a host of states that take my license.

Basically I work in both the public and private sector of ag as well as I write history.

I returned to the farm after teaching for 34 years to help my mom and dad as they aged. My mom passed less than a year from when I returned from dementia and other ailments. My dad passed in 2020. I helped my brother with the farm after Dad passed until he died unexpectedly last fall. I'm not a "farmer", but I live on the farm and rent out my ground. I don't have the knowledge or the skill to do the farming myself so I rent my ground to a couple of neighbors. A lot of farm publications still come in the mail, but I don't read them so I doubt I've read any of your articles.

As far as teaching goes I'm sure you could easily get your substitute license if you wanted to supplement your higher education income. All you need is an associate's degree or 60 semester hours or higher and the completion of an approved substitute authorization course.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

The reason I'm a "bit more challenging", as you say, is because I have a very good understanding of what Reynold's motivation is for this entire attack on public school funding and how she intends to dismantle certain segments.

I will also include that she is very bitter that certain educators and administrators make more $$$ than she does.
She literally walked into the offices of a few Iowa high school Superintendents last summer with a folder containing the salaries of some State employees and asked them "Do you think it's right that X, Y, and Z are making more than you and me"? Some of those Superintendents relayed their conversations with the Governor.
BTW...her salary is approximately $130k.
No bullshit. She is one, bitter bitch.

Perhaps if she made better choices in life, she would have a higher income. Regardless, trust me, she is taken care of.

 

[MitchLL]

Perhaps if she made better choices in life, she would have a higher income. Regardless, trust me, she is taken care of.

You may be right, but the fact remains that she's pretty far down the ladder on what her salary is as a State employee and you just know she's resentful of that fact.
As you say, better life decisions as a college student and beyond might have put her on a better path and she has skated through life incredibly lucky having certain Judges as friends and being picked by Branstad and then having Teflon get picked as Ambassador and falling into the Governorship.

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

I have asked you to clarify what you're trying to say in the past. It usually has led to something like this where you starting talking about yourself and gloss over the initial question while spinning off into Ukraine. If this is an attempt at humor it's more surreal than David Lynch's most imaginative dreams and equally as impossible to know. Neither of which I would associate with Bob Newhart or Gary Larson, who again have nothing to do with the post you were responding.

Sorry to bother you so much on a message board. I honestly don't remember our conversations. When one is relatively new it takes time to learn all the names.

The world is easier virwed the left or right is good or bsd or that Putin is bad and must be smashed. Easier to say vouchers are good or bad.

If you can think of where I didnt answer, ask again and Ill clarfy.

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

I returned to the farm after teaching for 34 years to help my mom and dad as they aged. My mom passed less than a year from when I returned from dementia and other ailments. My dad passed in 2020. I helped my brother with the farm after Dad passed until he died unexpectedly last fall. I'm not a "farmer", but I live on the farm and rent out my ground. I don't have the knowledge or the skill to do the farming myself so I rent my ground to a couple of neighbors. A lot of farm publications still come in the mail, but I don't read them so I doubt I've read any of your articles.

As far as teaching goes I'm sure you could easily get your substitute license if you wanted to supplement your higher education income. All you need is an associate's degree or 60 semester hours or higher and the completion of an approved substitute authorization course.

I get that, but I needed more than sub pay. I also supplement my income with managing farms and you need the brokers license to do that and a managing brokers license to operate on your own. Sorry about your parents. Mine passed a long time ago at relatively young ages.

Not that you asked...
ISU does it pretty good job on cash rent (if that's what you do). Generally cash rent with a flex is better for owners than crop share. Here is there range:

To me it's a bit low as there for sure are $400's out there and on good producing farms, the farmers can still make money and you can get good ones for that. I personally like flex rent with a solid base.

P levels should be about 60 to 65 on good ground and K generally 350 to 400 pounds per acre.

Get a good ag lawyer for the lease and you'll be in pretty good shape.

Getting a good honest farmer concerned about the soil and paying competitive rent isn't hard to come by but isn't always your neighbor. You want someone who can turn a class b farm into a class a on yields and there are those that can do that.

Erosion should not be acceptable.

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

What other reasons is it…crime? cost of living? poor schools? Etc?

Yes some of those. Jobs opportunities, family changes, you know life...

 

[gohawks50]

I get that, but I needed more than sub pay. I also supplement my income with managing farms and you need the brokers license to do that and a managing brokers license to operate on your own. Sorry about your parents. Mine passed a long time ago at relatively young ages.

Not that you asked...
ISU does it pretty good job on cash rent (if that's what you do). Generally cash rent with a flex is better for owners than crop share. Here is there range:

To me it's a bit low as there for sure are $400's out there and on good producing farms, the farmers can still make money and you can get good ones for that. I personally like flex rent with a solid base.

P levels should be about 60 to 65 on good ground and K generally 350 to 400 pounds per acre.

Get a good ag lawyer for the lease and you'll be in pretty good shape.

Getting a good honest farmer concerned about the soil and paying competitive rent isn't hard to come by but isn't always your neighbor. You want someone who can turn a class b farm into a class a on yields and there are those that can do that.

Erosion should not be acceptable.

I am cash renting to farmers that my dad and brother respected because they take care of the land. My farm is in SW Iowa where no till is the norm so erosion is controlled. I have a lawyer because we are still in the process of completing my brother's estate. He was divorced with no children and no will so I am his next of kin. It's a complicated and slow process.

 

[Joes Place]

You miss the point. Leaving no options, people will leave. The Iowa white population is not growing. Minorities are. The voucher system allows families to do school elsewhere.

Unless they have a special needs kid.

Then, they have no options.

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

Unless they have a special needs kid.

Then, they have no options.

I have one and agree.

 

[ft254]

The vouchers amount is far greater than any parent is paying in taxes going toward education. The $7635 per child is being partially funded by those of us that don't have children in school. If parents get to decide whether their tax money goes to public or private school, the rest of us should also be able to make that decision about our tax dollars. I want my money funding public not private schools.

This!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pinehawk]

Nothing dumber than people thinking they should get to direct their taxes to only things they approve of. Or, that your taxes should somehow completely pay for all the services you utilize.

But, if it makes you feel better, just imagine they are using “my taxes “ for this, and not “yours”. lol

 

[globalhawk]

The complexity of flight / lack of white population growth is complex. Parents don't want the vouchers just for the tax break incentive. They want to leave the local school for reasons. I stated the main reasons for that. Though I think CB has made great strides, if you are middle class where do you want your kids to go to school. Like it or not, CB is heavily Catholic. Having PP come into a school to teach sex ed isn't what they want (keep in mind where PP makes it's money).

Most parents would want LGBT students protected. They don't want programs basically promoting it.

I taught in one of the pilot schools in the nation. I can't remember the name of it. In a few years the small rural school was awash in student drug abuser. I had 7 kids in one of my classes and 5 were gone through the year for drug rehab. It was basically a self esteem class and the main point was for the students to make the choice best for them regardless of what anyone (which included parents) said.

Ignore the basic point of what I am saying, but solid families will leave communities without options for their kids. Schools with changing demographics still need those families around. If not someone will model it. It is how gangs are formed. That small rural school basically became gang like.

Iowa is one of the whitest states in the country. 84.5 percent white.

 

[ft254]

Lone Tree, Columbus Community, Muscatine, Ottumwa, Marshalltown, Denison, Perry...

Fact is that Iowa has elected the Gov they have. I would never vote for someone wearing a MAGA shirt. The fact is that if you are one of those schools, your white child is or will be soon a minority. Not saying it's bad or good, but a fact.

The fact is that those with education and some money will move. They may leave anyway.

But the reasons Kim was elected in part are not so much school vouchers but the reasons for school vouchers.

Iowa's population has been stagnant (white) and the only growth is minorities. Gangs are growing and more mid sized cities will struggle with issues that confront Rockford, Champaign/Urbana, Decatur, Danville, Kankakee and others. You will see it in larger communites and along the Amtrak corridor in addition to meat packing/others.

It's easy to laugh at Illinois, but Iowa will have the same/near the same issues that IL has outside of Chicago.

Focusing on the cost of vouchers is like shutting the windows of your house so it doesn't get wet while an F3 tornado is about to strike.

Calling me racist (which I am not) won't help. The issue needs to be fully understood to be fully addressed.

You're a racist for christs sake. I love it when racists post racist comments constantly and claim "which I am not".

Are you embarrassed being extremist? Can't admit it. At least liberals have no problem wearing the label.

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

You're a racist for christs sake. I love it when racists post racist comments constantly and claim "which I am not".

Are you embarrassed being extremist? Can't admit it. At least liberals have no problem wearing the label.

You are stupid if you believe that. You must be one that says all is fine with race and never do anything about it or have constructive discussion.

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

Iowa is one of the whitest states in the country. 84.5 percent white.

Yes correct. All population growth is non white. Fact.

 

[globalhawk]

Yes correct. All population growth is non white. Fact.

All population growth is non-white in almost every state. This has been true for a very long time. Don't act like this is a new issue. Edit: Actually, after looking at state racial demographics, Iowa is becoming a whiter population. Your statement is incorrect.

 

[gohawks50]

Nothing dumber than people thinking they should get to direct their taxes to only things they approve of. Or, that your taxes should somehow completely pay for all the services you utilize.

But, if it makes you feel better, just imagine they are using “my taxes “ for this, and not “yours”. lol

If you notice those statements are always in response to someone claiming parents should get to decide where their tax dollars go for their child's education. It's appropriate to point out that no parents are contributing enough in state taxes to fund the vouchers for their children. The rest of us without children are sharing the burden as well.

 

[Pinehawk]

Yeah, that how social services work. Like Medicare and social security. Everyone chips in for the good of society, with no guarantee that you’ll fully pay for your services, or even receive anything in return.
Education is just as important for society to invest in, for the best outcomes possible for our future.

 

[gohawks50]

Yeah, that how social services work. Like Medicare and social security. Everyone chips in for the good of society, with no guarantee that you’ll fully pay for your services, or even receive anything in return.
Education is just as important for society to invest in, for the best outcomes possible for our future.

Please point that out to voucher supporters as well as those of us that oppose them.

But I also believe that it's appropriate for some level of the parent tax bill to follow the student to the private school.

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

All population growth is non-white in almost every state. This has been true for a very long time. Don't act like this is a new issue. Edit: Actually, after looking at state racial demographics, Iowa is becoming a whiter population. Your statement is incorrect.

We are both right and wrong. White in Iowa is flat. 15 states see white growth.

More diversity is good but not at the expense of white flight. That is oft negative for the community.

 

[globalhawk]

We are both right and wrong. White in Iowa is flat. 15 states see white growth.

More diversity is good but not at the expense of white flight. That is oft negative for the community.

No. You are incorrect. The population of Iowa is getting whiter. You stated the opposite. This isn't hard. Edit: I think that might disprove your white flight theory but we all know you will try to change the topic to something unrelated.

 

[WadeLookingbill]

School vouchers intended to save taxpayer money blew a massive hole in Arizona's budget

Arizona has spent so much money paying private schoolers’ tuition that it’s now facing millions in budget cuts to state programs and projects.

www.yahoo.com

 

[RileyHawk]

School vouchers intended to save taxpayer money blew a massive hole in Arizona's budget

Arizona has spent so much money paying private schoolers’ tuition that it’s now facing millions in budget cuts to state programs and projects.

www.yahoo.com

Yep - just as predicted.

Last fiscal year alone, the price tag of universal vouchers in Arizona skyrocketed from an original official estimate of just under $65 million to roughly $332 million, the Grand Canyon analysis found; another $429 million in costs is expected this year.
Advocates for Arizona’s universal voucher initiative had originally said that it wouldn’t cost the public — and might even save taxpayers money. The Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank that helped craft the state’s 2022 voucher bill, claimed in its promotional materials at the time that the vouchers would “save taxpayers thousands per student, millions statewide.” Families that received the new cash, the institute said, would be educating their kids “for less than it would cost taxpayers if they were in the public school system.”

But as it turns out, the parents most likely to apply for these vouchers are the ones who were already sending their kids to private school or homeschooling. They use the dollars to subsidize what they were already paying for.

The result is new money coming out of the state budget. After all, the public wasn’t paying for private school kids’ tuition before.

 

[RileyHawk]

Interesting that the usual defenders of this sham program are in hiding.

 

[Hans81]

I don't know how long your kids have been out of school, but the requirements changed for the amount of time special needs kids have to spend in the "regular" classroom. Back in 1982 when I started teaching those kids spent the majority of their time in the special ed room. Now the entire system has changed to supporting children in their classroom. In other words, the population may have increased or it may just seem that way because of instead of being taught in their own special classroom, they are receiving the majority of their education in class with their age group peers.

Thanks for the info…I wasn’t aware of that.

 

[Hans81]

Iowa becoming a taxpayer haven will begin to attract people, families will move to Iowa because of it.

Agreed, I’m seeing some of that already with former out-of-state co-workers moving to Iowa.

 

[RicoSuave102954]

Over 30,000 applications were approved for the second year of Iowa’s taxpayer-funded private school tuition vouchers, according to Gov. Kim Reynolds.​

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that more than 30,000 applications were approved for the second year of her taxpayer-funded private school tuition program.


Reynolds provided the update while sharing the stage with former US Education Secretary and prolific voucher advocate Betsy DeVos during Friday’s 2024 Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines.


The governor did not provide a specific number of approved applications; however, just 30,000 applications would total $234,780,000 in taxpayer dollars for private school tuition in year two of the program.


The Iowa Legislature allocated nearly $180,000,000 to vouchers—an unlimited line item in the state budget—for the 2024-25 school year, and this projection is more than $50 million higher than that amount.


The nine-figure estimate of voucher costs is based on the 2024-25 school year funding amount of $7,826 per voucher recipient multiplied by 30,000 applications. Iowa provided 16,757 vouchers at a cost of nearly $128 million in the 2023-24 school year.


According to the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Iowa received 35,417 voucher applications this school year, and more are being vetted.


In the program’s second year, the restriction on who qualifies for a voucher was raised to 400% of the federal poverty rate, and this limit will be phased out entirely in the 2025-26 school year.



During her time in office, Reynolds pushed for private school vouchers and even endorsed primary opponents of Iowa House Republicans who opposed her plans during the 2022 Republican primaries.


In the 2023 legislative session, Reynolds was finally able to pass her most expensive voucher proposal to date. On Friday, she credited the coronavirus pandemic for giving her the political ammunition to get it over the hump.


“COVID, honestly, served it up on a silver platter for us,” she said. “It was a defining moment; it really gave parents a proper seat to see what was happening in their classrooms.”

Reynolds’ voucher program will cost Iowa taxpayers over $200 million in year two

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that more than 30,000 applications were approved for the second year of her taxpayer-funded private school tuition program.

iowastartingline.com

If so what a sad commentary on the failed public school system in Iowa. The indoctrination centers (public schools) have been exposed for what they are, and the people are choosing the best option for their children.

Anyone who does not support the Voucher program needs to either move out of State or wise up.

 

[theiacowtipper]

Here's a map of the number of private schools by county.

That map isn’t correct, at least in the context of Henry County. We have a private school here.

 

[MitchLL]

All population growth is non-white in almost every state. This has been true for a very long time. Don't act like this is a new issue. Edit: Actually, after looking at state racial demographics, Iowa is becoming a whiter population. Your statement is incorrect.

Iowa Republicans are shooting for 100% White..

 

[Hans81]

The reason I'm a "bit more challenging", as you say, is because I have a very good understanding of what Reynold's motivation is for this entire attack on public school funding and how she intends to dismantle certain segments.

I will also include that she is very bitter that certain educators and administrators make more $$$ than she does.
She literally walked into the offices of a few Iowa high school Superintendents last summer with a folder containing the salaries of some State employees and asked them "Do you think it's right that X, Y, and Z are making more than you and me"? Some of those Superintendents relayed their conversations with the Governor.
BTW...her salary is approximately $130k.
No bullshit. She is one, bitter bitch.

Wow, the governor of Iowa only makes $130K annual salary? Do you know…is that comparable to other midwestern governor salaries?

 

[MitchLL]

Wow, the governor of Iow only makes $130K annual salary? Do you know…is that comparable to other midwestern governor salaries?

Irrelevant to conversation, but I would think it's close to other low population Midwest States.

Edit...just did Google search...Noem makes $140k and Nebraska Governor makes $105k.

Don't know how accurate?

 

[theiacowtipper]

I have a friend who is on the school board for Burlington Notre Dame. Obviously a Catholic private school. I of course do not know for sure but between her and her husband they make probably 250k a year, so they will receive the voucher when it becomes universally available.

She, a Democrat by the way, has been absolutely up front about the future of tuition at ND. They are increasing tuition to a level where families are net neutral out of pocket. The voucher is just extra money. They are doing this in order to lower the subsidy the church pays the school. Effectively, the voucher money is going to the church.

This is simply an attempt to provide taxpayer money to churches. That’s the primary focus. How many non parochial private schools are there in Iowa? More than a handful?

 

[Hans81]

Irrelevant to conversation, but I would think it's close to other low population Midwest States.

Edit...just did Google search...Noem makes $140k and Nebraska Governor makes $105k.

Don't know how accurate?

Well, I think it’s somewhat relevant as you appeared to be making fun of Reynold’s annual salary when it appears similar to other governor’s in similar type states.