Adam Steen Wants to Make Iowa’s Public School Funding Crisis Worse

DES MOINES – Today, new reporting from the Des Moines Register revealed gubernatorial candidate Adam Steen wants to further slash funding for Iowa’s already-underfunded public schools. Thanks to Kim Reynolds, Iowa has fallen from 5th in the country in education to 20th, and schools are chronically underfunded to the tune of $520 million per year, or over $1,000 per student. Steen told a crowd that public education “in every area has a spending problem” and claimed “there’s more money going into those schools that we don’t know about that doesn’t need to go in there.”

Steen also praised Kim Reynolds’ disastrous private school voucher scheme and opposed oversight measures for school vouchers, saying “you have my commitment, absolutely, 100%, I will protect ESA’s … I will continue to push them forward as best we possibly can.” Reynolds’ vouchers have funneled $315 million in tax dollars to unaccountable private schools, left rural school districts to foot the bill for wealthy families, and forced cuts to local programs that kids and families count on. 

Randy Feenstra, Zach Lahn, Brad Sherman, and Eddie Andrews agree with Steen on attacking public schools. Feenstra backed Reynolds’ voucher scheme in the state legislature and voted to further shift tens of billions of taxpayer dollars away from public schools to private schools in Congress. Lahn, Sherman, and Andrews have praised the unaccountable vouchers that are undermining the future of public education in Iowa.

From Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson Terra Hernandez:

“Adam Steen, Randy Feenstra, Zach Lahn, Brad Sherman, and Eddie Andrews are in full support of Kim Reynolds’ disastrous private school voucher scheme that siphons money away from public schools to unaccountable private schools while Iowa students, teachers, and parents foot the bill for the wealthiest few. Iowa students deserve a governor who will fight to protect and improve our public schools, but the Republican field has made it clear they are all-in on further gutting public education in Iowa.”

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