Private School Vouchers Tank Iowa’s Education Ranking Into the Bottom Half Nationally. Zach Lahn Wants to Take It Further
Lahn founded an unaccountable school in Kansas that operated without oversight or basic educational standards
DES MOINES – A new report from the Des Moines Register reveals that Iowa’s education ranking has fallen to the bottom half of states, for the first time in history. Meanwhile, Zach Lahn continues to support Kim Reynolds’ unaccountable private school voucher program that drives up costs and rips away funding from the vast majority of Iowa’s students, teachers, and parents to foot the bill for wealthy families, hitting rural schools the hardest.
Iowa’s education ranking has fallen to 27th nationally, with researchers citing “a lack of school resources” and funding, but Lahn has claimed that Iowa “is spending too much money on education.” Public school funding has fallen behind inflation, nearly all of Iowa’s private schools are now funded by taxpayer dollars, and vouchers are projected to cost Iowa taxpayers $350 million. Despite that, Lahn has said “I am all for ESAs” and has left the door open to even deeper cuts and further attacks on Iowa’s public schools.
Lahn also founded an unaccredited school in Kansas that operated without oversight — raising serious questions about his commitment to protecting Iowa’s public schools. Iowa Starting Line reported that Lahn’s school “did not seek accreditation through the Kansas Department of Education, meaning it was not required to follow state regulations, administer state tests, or hire licensed teachers.”
From Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson Terra Hernandez:
“Zach Lahn isn’t just running to continue Kim Reynolds’ attacks on public education — he wants to go even further in slashing public school funding. Iowa parents and teachers deserve a governor who believes in oversight, accountability, and investing in our public schools, but Lahn has a track record of avoiding all three. That was his approach in Kansas, and it’s exactly why Iowans have every reason to question what Lahn would do to hurt public schools here.”
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