From the Desk of Senator Donahue
Senate Study Bill 3100’s 1.75% increase for public education is being sold as “new funding,” but in reality it’s another cut in disguise. It doesn’t even come close to covering inflation or the real costs of running our schools. In Linn County, that means fewer resources in classrooms, pressure to cut staff and programs, and more costs pushed onto local property taxpayers. Rural schools are hit hardest — they already face higher transportation costs, smaller budgets, and fewer options when funding falls short. When Republicans in Des Moines underfund public education, rural communities pay first: programs disappear, class sizes grow, schools close, and schools that anchor small towns are slowly hollowed out. This isn’t fiscal responsibility — it’s the Republicans choosing to shortchange our kids and our communities.
Events around the district:
Gallery Opening Reception at Campbell Steele
The BIG birthdays this week are below. If you happen to know any of these folks, make sure you wish them a very happy birthday!
| Lora | Lehmkuhl |
| Sheila | Balas |
| Audrey | Luetters |
| Stacia | Fruehling |
| Pamela | Cope |
| Brady | Hite |
| Holly | Bassett |
| Aaron | Mishler |
| Sandra | Phillips |
| Susan | Brady |
| Donald | Hoskins |
| John | Heim |
| Christian | Alva |
| Elizabeth | Underwood |
| James | Fowler |
| Jill | Dochterman |
| Georgann | Cook |
| Michael | Lorenz |
Public education should be a priority
For nearly a decade now, Iowa’s public schools have been asked to do more with less. They’ve been asked to shoulder the responsibility of teaching the vast majority of Iowa kids – over 90% of all students in the state – while costs rise and state funding lags.
It is clear, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that public education is no longer a priority for the majority party here in Iowa.
This week, Senate Republicans advanced SSB 3100 through the Senate Education Committee. This bill would set the annual increase in state funding for Iowa’s public schools at 1.75%. (To put that in perspective, the U.S. inflation rate is currently hovering at around 2.7%.) This number means one thing: cuts.
Schools will be forced to cut teacher positions. Districts will cut programs. We’ll see school consolidation and larger class sizes – some districts have even talked about combining entire grade levels. At these proposed funding levels, some school districts won’t be able to meet the new minimum teacher salary requirements the legislature passed a couple of years ago.
This severe underfunding isn’t new, unfortunately, and neither are the consequences. After years of Republican control, many school districts can’t afford simple cost-of-living increases for their personnel. Some districts no longer interview the most qualified teaching candidates, because the district knows the candidate is unaffordable. When schools can’t afford enough teachers, students lose access to the individual attention that can lead to significant growth and development.
Without proper funding, students lose access to beloved programs. In Boone, for example, a 100-year-old school orchestra program was recently terminated for lack of funding. In other school districts, STEM teachers aren’t replaced, so programs designed to prepare students for the future fall behind. When schools can’t afford a full-time language teacher, online instruction is used as an insufficient substitute.
We don’t know what the final school funding number will be. Senate Republicans’ number is different than the governor’s, and House Republicans haven’t introduced their plan yet. What we do know is that these Republican proposals would all see our kids fall even further behind.
We know that for the current school year, Iowa’s level of state funding per student falls $1,000 behind inflation.
We know what schools, teachers, and parents have told us: this is not enough.
We know that Iowa kids deserve much better.
Quick Updates
February is Black History Month! The century-old celebration recognizes the importance of Black history, culture, and education. For history buffs, here are some great stories about Black history in Iowa: from Sioux City, to Buxton, to Waterloo.
Iowa Legislative Black and Brown Democratic Caucus: A legislative caucus first founded in 2014 expanded this year to welcome an expanded membership and promote their goals of protecting civil rights, building economic opportunities, and expanding access to healthcare and education. You can read more about the Caucus here.
Real ID started February 1: If you do not have a Real ID – the gold star on your driver’s license – it will now cost an extra $45 dollars to fly. The rule applies to all passengers over the age of 18 and those without the Real ID will need to show proof of payment before getting in the airport security line. Payment is good for ten days, so those with travel plans longer than ten days will need to pay more than once. To get your Real ID, visit the Iowa Department of Transportation’s website.
Layoffs shrink access to healthcare: This week, MercyOne announced 34 employees in the North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City would be laid off in March. This follows previous announcements that MercyOne would let go 67 Des Moines-based employees in March and 40 workers in Ottumwa would lose their jobs when the clinic closes later this month. These layoffs, which are a product of federal funding cuts, will leave many Iowans with diminished access to the healthcare they need.
Two important upcoming Medicare deadlines:
- Iowans currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan have until March 31, 2026, to change Medicare Advantage Plans or return to Original Medicare through the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period.
- Iowans whose Part D or Medicare Advantage plans were cancelled at the end of 2025 have until February 28, 2026, to enroll in a new plan.
- Iowans seeking assistance with these changes can reach out to the Iowa Insurance Division’s SHIIP for free, confidential, and unbiased one-on-one counseling. Residents can find a local counselor by calling 1-800-351-4664 or checking a list of local sites at https://shiip.iowa.gov/find-resources/find-counselor.
Student art contest: The Iowa DNR and Wildlife Forever encourages Iowans ages 5-18 to enter in the Iowa Songbird and Fish Art Contests! The submission deadline for the 2026 Iowa Fish Art Contest is February 28, 2026. For more information on rules and submission guidelines and to submit artwork visit Iowa Fish Art Contest.
Paint Iowa Beautiful provides grant recipients free paint to support a wide range of public service and community betterment projects, from restoring park shelters and historic landmarks to brightening main street facades and public murals. Applications are due by Feb. 12 here: https://keepiowabeautiful.org/grants-scholarships/grants/paint-iowa-beautiful/
February is CTE Month: Throughout February, schools will highlight achievements in career and technical education programs. To find out more and to help raise awareness of the importance of CTE programs in Iowa please visit: https://www.acteonline.org/cte-month/
This Week in the around the Capitol and in the news:
