DES MOINES — Gov. Kim Reynolds plans to sign education funding bills sent to her last week by lawmakers providing a 2 percent increase in state per-pupil funding for the budget year beginning in July.
Reynolds has scheduled a bill signing event for Tuesday morning at the Iowa Capitol.
The measures would boost per-pupil support from the state general fund to nearly $3.3 billion. Democrats had proposed an amendment that would have provided 3 percent but Republicans holding a majority of votes rejected it.
Sen. Herman Quirmbach, an Ames Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Education Committee, argued 3 percent would have made up for inflationary losses over the past two years and provided a modest increase.
Reynolds says it provides the funding to "continue moving forward in preparing our young people for the challenges of a 21st century economy."
The bill includes teacher professional development and leadership compensation.
Reynolds also will sign a separate bill to provide schools $21.3 million, including funding for transportation in districts where the cost of busing students is higher.