Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents, staff chastise board for voting down "Iowa Public School Strong" resolution
Summary
Three public commenters—two residents and a York Middle School teacher—told the Bettendorf board its recent no votes on an education-support resolution risked services for students with special needs, called for full funding and urged members to reverse course.
Rebecca, a Benton resident and a future special education teacher, told the Bettendorf Community School District board that she was "very disappointed" the board voted against adopting the "public school strong" resolution and urged elected members to fully fund public schools so students who rely on IEP services are not left behind. "Please don't let me down," she said.
Sarah O'Calahan, who identified herself as a Bentonorf resident, thanked Directors Larkin, Bruty and Witter for supporting the resolution and criticized the four members who voted no, calling their votes "shocking and disappointing" and saying state-level rhetoric and legislation are already harming public education. She cited a recent report showing Iowa's education ranking had fallen to 27th and said other districts have since approved the resolution, leaving Bettendorf as an outlier.
A longtime district teacher who said she works at York Middle School described staff morale as damaged by the board's decision. She said employees feel "not seen" and that the board's vote to deny a referendum for fuller funding was "a total slap in the face" to staff and families. The teacher warned that without funding the district will struggle to provide special education services, update curriculum to meet new state standards, and sustain extracurricular programs.
Board leaders acknowledged the public comments. No board action or reversal of the earlier vote was taken at this meeting. The public comment period concluded and the board proceeded to routine agenda items.
