Board members and Superintendent Juan Cordova spent a substantial portion of the July 21 meeting outlining priorities they plan to ask state lawmakers to consider during the next legislative session. The topics the board discussed include increased state funding for special education, revisiting mechanisms to aid property‑poor districts, limiting or placing parity requirements on private‑school voucher programs, and protecting local decision‑making authority.

Director John (surname not provided) framed the discussion around the district’s ongoing structural budget challenge: the district expects to spend more cash than it will generate over the next several years and faces a large special‑education deficit. “Every school district in the state or nearly every, has a deficit in special education,” John said. He noted Sioux City’s tax base is “among the lowest of any district in the state,” which increases the local burden.

Board members referenced the historical “Peter Fund” that helped low‑property districts and discussed examining how a similar mechanism could support current needs. Director Emke and others urged specifying a concrete supplemental state aid (SSA) ask rather than general messaging; one board member referenced a School Administrators of Iowa recommendation of 5 percent as a benchmark.

Voucher policy and parity also drew repeated comment. Several directors argued that when public districts must follow one set of rules, voucher programs should be required to follow comparable rules, testing and accountability, and not benefit from a different regulatory framework.

Superintendent Cordova said the district must start with its specific needs and demographics; he emphasized the district’s diverse student population and the need for state funding that reflects those conditions. Board members agreed to develop a district‑specific legislative agenda over the next four to six weeks and to meet again in a work session on Aug. 25 to finalize priorities.

Ending: The board did not take a formal vote to adopt a legislative package at the July 21 meeting; members requested staff draft a specific proposal, including dollar amounts for SSA, and return for committee and full‑board consideration.