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House passes Senate File 2201 setting 2% school aid increase, picks up budget guarantee
Summary
The Iowa House passed Senate File 2201 as amended, setting supplemental state aid at 2% for fiscal 2027, increasing the state cost per pupil to $8,148, appropriating roughly $105.9 million of additional general fund dollars related to the change and directing the state to pick up the budget guarantee. Final passage was 58–35 with 7 not voting.
The Iowa House on the floor passed Senate File 2201 as amended, a school funding bill that sets supplemental state aid at 2% for fiscal 2027 and raises the state cost per pupil to $8,148. The bill, which the manager said will shift the budget guarantee to the state and add programs including a $7 million education support personnel supplement, was adopted on a final passage vote of 58–35 with seven members not voting.
Representative Gehlbach, the bill manager, framed the bill as both stability and large-scale funding: “This bill delivers over 100,000,000 in new money to our schools,” and he said the legislation, together with local and federal dollars, contributes to a statewide funding level he described as nearly $24,000 per pupil. Gehlbach also cited recent gains in student achievement and a lower chronic absenteeism rate as context for the package. The manager said the plan appropriates about $3.98 billion in state funding and that the combination of changes amounts to roughly $105,900,000 in new general fund dollars and a 2.7% increase from last year’s general-fund appropriation.
Opponents warned the 2% supplemental state aid increase is insufficient. Representative Matson said the amendment he supported earlier — a proposal to increase funding by 5% — was necessary to meet district needs and staff pay; Matson argued the 2% figure would leave many districts in “survival mode.” Matson warned that districts facing shortfalls could be forced into program cuts and staff reductions. The House rejected Matson’s separate amendment earlier on a roll call.
After adoption of floor amendments and handling of secondary amendments, the clerk reported the final passage vote and the chair ordered the bill immediately messaged to the Senate. The bill text as read on the floor describes changes to the school foundation formula: a 2% SSA adjustment, an additional property tax relief payment year, a second student-count date (Jan. 15) to average adjusted enrollment, transportation equity adjustments including a per-district cap, establishment of an education support personnel supplement, and related appropriations and applicability language.
