The State Board of Education on June 17 approved Iowa’s four‑year Perkins state plan, which moves the long‑term allocation of federal career and technical education (CTE) funding toward high schools, but the board directed the Department of Education to convene community college and K‑12 partners and return with additional analysis of the allocation by December 2025.

The action comes after public comment from community college leaders and a multiweek public comment process the department said produced “significant” feedback.

Board approval allows the department to submit the state plan to the U.S. Department of Education. The board’s motion included a specific direction that the department hold additional stakeholder meetings on the proposed secondary/postsecondary split and present findings to the board no later than the December 2025 meeting.

Why this matters: Perkins funds support CTE programs, work‑based learning, industry‑recognized credentials and related educator professional development. Community colleges and many rural high schools rely on the funds to run shared programs and purchase specialized equipment; shifting the long‑term split could change how those programs are staffed and delivered.

Key points

- Public commenters from two community colleges told the board the proposed allocation would reduce community college Perkins funding sharply and could force program cuts. Kyle Collins of Des Moines Area Community College told the board, “the redistribution of Perkins funding from Iowa's community colleges to our K‑12 partners is not an effective way to enhance CTE programming in the state of Iowa.” Anne Hauser Boyens, president of Iowa Valley Community College District, said, “It's estimated that this will be about a $2,000,000 cut to the 15 community colleges.”

- Department staff said Iowa will receive about $14.5 million in Perkins funds for fiscal year 2026. The department proposed year‑one distributions at 46.5% secondary and 53.5% postsecondary, shifting in years two through four to 60% secondary and 40% postsecondary; 7% of the total allocation would be reserved for statewide initiatives (college and career transition counselors, professional development, investments in industry‑recognized credentials and expansion of work‑based learning).

- Department presenters described a multistage stakeholder process: an October 2024 statewide stakeholder meeting, a 30‑day public comment period in March–April 2025, two public hearings and synthesis of comments into plan revisions. The department said it received an extension from the U.S. Department of Education to allow additional review of comments before submission.

- Board members pressed the department for more locally disaggregated analysis, asking staff to show how the proposed split would affect each community college and the high schools in its service area. Several board members said they wanted additional meetings with the community college presidents and with K‑12 districts before any long‑term allocation change takes effect.

- The board approved the state plan by roll call vote with one recorded “nay” and directed the department to present follow‑up findings and stakeholder feedback no later than the board’s December 2025 meeting. Board members noted the approved plan includes a transitional year before the larger shift in the formula would be implemented.

What was decided and what follows

Formal action: The board voted to approve the Perkins state plan as presented and asked the department to reconvene community college and K‑12 partners to review the allocation for years two through four, reporting back by December 2025. The vote was recorded by roll call; one board member voted against the motion while the rest approved. The plan will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education following board approval and the governor’s signature.

Staff direction: Department staff will schedule additional stakeholder meetings, provide county/district/community college‑level allocation modeling, and document responses to public comments for the board’s December review.

Quotes

“We have a k‑12 regional planning partnership … providing critical support in strengthening career pathways,” Kyle Collins said in public comment, arguing community colleges scale CTE cost‑effectively.

“Equipping all of the high schools with high‑cost equipment may not be the most effective way to use these funds,” Anne Hauser Boyens said.

“In Iowa, these funds are allocated to high schools, community colleges, and charter schools,” Heather Meissen, the department’s CTE administrative consultant, told the board during the plan presentation.

Ending note

The board’s approval preserves the state’s ability to submit its Perkins plan on the federal timeline, while the directed follow‑up aims to produce more detailed local impact information and a public conversation about the long‑term allocation that will take effect after the transition year.