Condition of the State - Key Takeaways

• Workforce
  • Future Ready Iowa Program
    • When began, 58% of Iowans had education beyond high school
    • Goal was to hit 70% by 2025
    • Hit 70% goal this year, thanked community colleges and apprenticeship programs
    • Last Dollar Scholarship:
      • Refocusing LDS to reward WBL experience and high demand career paths
• Education
  • Board of Education considering 8 new public charter school applications
  • Special Ed & AEAS
    • Currently have 9 AEAs
    • Wants AEAs to focus solely on students with disabilities
    • Let school districts be in charge of special ed funding
      • In-house resources
      • Private companies
      • Region’s AEA
      • Neighboring AEA
    • Oversight by DE
  • Foundation of Reading Assessment required for Education majors to graduate
  • $96million for K-12 to increase teacher pay
    • 0-12 years of experience, starting pay $50,000
    • 12+ years of experience, minimum pay $62,000
• Governance
  • Eliminate/Reduce/Combine 111 boards and commissions
    • Evaluate boards/commissions every 5 years
• Taxes
  • Legislation last year = 3.9% flat rate by 2026
  • Governor says $1.83 billion surplus means tax payers are paying too much
    • 3.65% retroactively applied to January 1, 2024
    • 3.5% 2025