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Board approves district’s annual modified supplemental amount request for at‑risk funding
Summary
The board approved the district’s annual request to the Iowa Department of Education to spend modified supplemental amount (at‑risk) funds; presenters said the district’s 2.5% request produces $1,002,569 with a required 25% local match.
The Ottumwa Community School District Board of Education approved the district’s annual modified supplemental amount request for the 2025–26 at‑risk program at its Jan. 14 meeting.
District staff said the state formula uses a percentage (2.5 percent in the district’s request), multiplied by the district cost per pupil ($7,826) and the number of students in the account (5,124) to calculate an amount of $1,002,569. District staff said the program requires a 25 percent local match of $334,190, producing total funds available of $1,336,759 for at‑risk programming if the request is approved by the state Department of Education.
Presenters noted the district’s 2.5 percent request is lower than the maximum authority some districts may pursue and described efforts to seek legislative change to allow greater parity (a cited example was a potential increase to 5 percent). Staff said the percentage is set by the state and that about 75 percent of funding ultimately comes from local property taxes.
A board member asked clarifying questions; staff responded that the limitation on the district’s percentage is a state-determined authority and that increased authority would require legislative or administrative change. A motion to approve the request carried after a voice vote; board members signaled assent by raising hands.
Board materials provided the calculation detail used in the presentation and staff said they will proceed with the required state filing for the modified supplemental amount request.
