Strengthening education is more than a policy priority. It’s about giving everyday working families a system they can trust — a system built to spark possibility in every child, not just those with resources. And trust in our education system doesn’t just come from strong schools; it comes from protecting the public workers who hold those schools together. When the state undermines both public education and IPERS, it sends a message that the people who serve Iowa’s kids are not valued. That is how communities begin to break down — and right now, Iowa is drifting away from the promise that every child and every worker deserves stability.

We’ve watched schools like Fulton close and Jefferson come close. We’ve watched communities lose the one place where kids felt grounded and where parents felt connected. When a school closes, it doesn’t simply disappear from a map. It takes a piece of the neighborhood’s identity with it, and families feel that loss deeply (Sloat, 2024). What makes this even harder is the reality that, because the state refuses to fully fund public education, districts are forced into school bonds just to keep buildings safe or functional. And those bonds don’t land evenly — the schools serving students with the greatest needs often end up with the fewest resources. It widens the very inequities we claim to be fighting against, and it undermines the public workforce that shows up for Iowa every day.

Spark the Truth: What the Numbers Show

Instead of investing in public classrooms, the state expanded a private-school voucher program with almost no oversight. In year two alone, the voucher program cost taxpayers over $234 million, money that could have nearly covered universal free lunch for every public-school student, which costs just over $200 million statewide. If we can afford vouchers, we can afford to feed kids.

To absorb these costs, Iowa pulled $900 million from state reserves, contributing to a growing budget deficit. Meanwhile, Iowa ranks 49th in the nation for economic growth, with GDP dropping 6.1 percent in one quarter (Axios, 2025). When state finances crumble, districts cut staff, property taxes rise, and schools close — especially in working-class neighborhoods. And all the while, IPERS — the retirement security for 335,000 public workers — remains under political pressure.

Spark Our Future: What This Means for District 71

District 71 feels these pressures intensely. Schools like Hempstead, Washington, Jefferson, and Alta Vista are community anchors. They are where parents feel connected and kids feel rooted. But when state funding falls short, the children with the greatest needs end up with the fewest supports. Families in our neighborhoods are forced to shoulder school bond costs just to keep buildings open — all while private institutions receive blank checks.

This creates a cycle where working families pay more for less, public workers shoulder the stress, and young people look elsewhere for opportunity.

Ignite the Path Forward

Strengthening education means investing where it matters most. It means fully restoring IPERS so every public worker can retire with dignity. It means expanding early childhood access so families aren’t stuck on waitlists. It means guaranteeing free meals in public schools, because no child can learn on an empty stomach — especially when Iowa is spending more on private school vouchers than universal meals would cost. It means growing concurrent enrollment, so students graduate ready for whatever comes next.

But most importantly, it means reigniting a spark in every child who walks into a classroom. A spark that tells them their future is worth investing in. A spark that keeps families rooted in Iowa. A spark that lifts every neighborhood in District 71.

That’s the Iowa I’m fighting for — one where every student, every teacher, and every family has the stability, dignity, and opportunity they deserve.

Axios. (2025, July 7). Iowa’s economy struggles with negative GDP growth in first quarter.https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2025/07/07/iowa-economy-gdp-economic-decline-agriculture

Heller, S. (2025, June 2). Critics warn of ‘money laundering’ as Iowa expands school voucher program. Iowa Starting Line. https://iowastartingline.com/2025/06/02/critics-warn-of-money-laundering-as-iowa-expands-school-voucher-program/

Hernandez, S. (n.d.). Iowa school districts work to feed students amid the end of universal free meals, increasing costs.Des Moines Register. https://www.desmoinesregister.com

Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System. (n.d.). Membership data and plan overview. https://ipers.org

Rushing, T. (2024, July 15). Reynolds’ voucher program will cost Iowa taxpayers over $200 million in year two. Iowa Starting Line. https://iowastartingline.com