A local community organizer told the Marshalltown board on Sept. 15 she is circulating a petition asking the state legislature to fully fund public schools and to cap or eliminate private school vouchers.

Sandy Bennett, who identified herself as a retired school speech-language pathologist and a member of Citizens for Community Improvement in Iowa, told the board her group wants the legislature to increase school funding and to reinstate a cap on vouchers if elimination is not possible. "Right now we have no cap. It's costing us millions of dollars, which comes away from our public schools," Bennett said.

Bennett said the petition form explains the proposals on the back and that she will need 500 signatures or a smaller number determined by a percentage of voters in the last school board election; she said she would confirm the exact requirement with the county auditor and return to inform the board after collecting signatures. When asked whether the signatures must come from district residents, Bennett said yes, they must be people in the Marshalltown School District.

Superintendent Theron Schutte told Bennett that board leadership would discuss whether to return the matter to the board agenda on Oct. 6. The board did not make a formal endorsement at the meeting. Bennett asked members to sign petitions or to help collect signatures in the community.

Her remarks took place during the public comment portion of the meeting; board policy and state open-meeting rules were reiterated at the start of the session (board president Sean Heitman reminded attendees that Iowa law prohibits discussion of specific district employees during public comment).