DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — At odds over education funding, Iowa lawmakers have established a negotiating committee to attempt to reach compromise. A joint conference committee with lawmakers from both chambers met Thursday. The Republican-majority House and Democratic-controlled Senate must determine a funding level for K-12 education for the upcoming academic year.

House Republicans have advanced a plan that would provide about $100 million in additional funding, while Senate Democrats want to give schools over $200 million in additional funding. Both proposals include money dedicated to teacher leadership training. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, a Council Bluffs Democrat, calls education a priority because it’s a “ticket to a better life.”

But Rep. Chuck Soderberg, a Republican from Le Mars who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, says the House proposal is what the state can afford.