Governor Kim Reynolds has just recently signed a wide-ranging education law restructuring funding for the state’s Area Education Agencies, raising starting teacher pay to $50,000 and giving Iowa schools a 2.5% funding increase for the coming year.

“House File 2612 will improve special education for students with disabilities and raise salaries for new and experienced teachers — two foundational pillars of a world-class education system, which is exactly what we strive to provide for every student in our state,” Reynolds said.

So what exactly is the AEAs? — Simple, the AEA is the main provider of special education services, and will continue receiving 90% of the state funding that they currently receive for special education, while the school controls the remaining 10%.

This new law gives school districts control over pools of state funding that now go to the AEAs for general education and media services. This allows them to spend the money on private vendors or continue working with the AEAs under a “fee for service” model.

Because this bill have been increasingly controversial, education advocates organized and carried out protests at the state’s Capitol building as well as the governor’s mansion in opposition to the bill. Many parents who have children with disabilities showed up at the legislative hearings, saying that the bill will harm the services that their children would normally receive from the AEAs.

The AEAs are funded through a combination of state, federal and local property tax dollars. Their main purpose is to offer special education services to school districts and the children inside them. The law does not make any changes to the funding in the 2024-25 school year. Instead starting in the 2025-26 school calendar year, school districts will receive that special education funding that goes straight to the AEAs.

As of today, beginning teachers start at $33,500, the new bill also raises the minimum pay for starting teachers to $47,500 in the coming school year and $50,000 the following year. And for the teachers with at least 12 years of experience the minimum salary will be $60,000 next year, and $62,000 the following year.

“Iowa currently ranks in the bottom half of states for starting teacher pay, and with this increase we soar to the top five in the nation,” Reynolds said. “But even better than our ranking is the message it sends to current and prospective teachers: Iowa values education and those who dedicate their careers to students, and their pay should absolutely reflect it.”

Statistics showed more than three quarters of Iowans support raising the minimum starting salary for public school teachers. A Iowa Poll found that about 76% of Iowans favor raising the minimum teacher pay to $50,000 per year, while 22% opposed the increase and the final 2% were unsure.

While the passing of this bill is still a misconception to come, others might disagree.

“We held numerous meetings with everyone and worked with all sides to come to an agreement that is a win for education in our state,” said Iowa State Representative Skyler Wheeler.

Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum had recently released a statement thanking those who spoke out against Reynolds and the bill, saying she failed to listen to their concerns.

“Gov. Reynolds demanded an attack on Iowa’s Area Education Agencies that no one asked for and no one wanted. She bullied it through the Republican-led legislature, and today she signed it into law,” Jochum said. “Every step of the way, Iowans told her to stop, to slow down, to engage stakeholders and collaborate on real improvements to special education in Iowa. She never listened, and now parents and children will face the consequences.”