SF438, School Omnibus Bill filed by the Education Committee of which Sen. Amy Sinclair is the chair, passed in the Iowa Senate and is now awaiting debate on the House Floor.
This bill removes the requirement that public school have librarians and requires the vision and dental screenings for children entering kindergarten be submitted to the Iowa Department of Public Health rather than the public school system.
The fiscal note prepared for the bill by the Legislative Services Agency states IDPH will require the equivalent of six additional full-time employees and the cost to IDPH will be $1.2 million dollars for the first year and $850,000 for the second year. There is no estimation of continuing costs following the second year.
Also, The IDPH’s information technology systems will need to be modified in order for dental screening and vision screening providers to access the system. This bill in its original form also included removing the requirement that public schools have a nurse on staff. Because of public outrage, this was removed from the bill. Where is the political party that is for less government and fiscal responsibility? Apparently absent without leave.
This is the Iowa legislature that can only give public schools a 2 percent increase in funding but does not raise an eyebrow about additional significant expenses this bill entails. This is, also, the Iowa Legislature that continually seeks to use taxpayer dollars in the way of vouchers to fund private schools.
Fran Henderson
Newton