Allowable growth not keeping pace with school expenses

As the budget-making process unfolds over the next month, school administrators across the state express concern about trying to make do with less. During the Humboldt School board’s regular monthly meeting Monday night, school superintendent Greg Darling expressed frustration with funding proposals coming out of the statehouse. What lawmakers and Iowa Governor Terry Branstad have proposed, continues to come up short, Darling said. “The state is talking about two percent funding in allowable growth, or what they now call supplemental state aid,” Darling said. “Over the last six years, we have averaged 1.83 percent allowable growth per year.” “The previous six years, the state allowed school districts 3.65 percent in allowable growth each year,” Darling said. Darling said the state continues to impose more requirements, which basically become unfunded mandates, because dollars don't go along with them. "We are looking at areas to try and come up with some savings," Darling said. "There are only so many paper clips and paper that we can cut each year." To read about this and other news and sports involving our local schools, subscribe to the Humboldt Independent. It's as easy as clicking on the subscribe today link at the top of this page.