MARION, Iowa (KCRG) – On Thursday, the Linn-Mar School District confirmed that 50 full-time staff positions in the district would be cut for the 2024/2025 school year. At Monday’s board meeting, the district announced that even though they made approximately $3 million in cuts this school year, another $2.5 million would have to be made for the next one as well. 19 full-time teaching positions and 31 full-time classified staff positions would be cut as part of the budget cuts.

The district has cited a combination of expiring COVID-19 relief funding, low funding from the state legislature, and declining enrollment as factors in the financial shortfall.

VAN WERT, Iowa [KCCI] — Authorities in Decatur County say one person was killed in a house fire Thursday morning. A 911 call reporting the fire in the 200 block of West First Street first came in around 10:30 a.m., according to Decatur County Sheriff Chris Lane, who confirmed that one person was dead but did not release the identity. Officials have also not said what they believe caused the fire, which is still under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments Thursday in the dispute linked to the construction of the University of Iowa’s Children’s Hospital. Modern Piping won a judgment of nearly 13 million dollars after alleging the U-I wrongly used an injunction to delay arbitration in a dispute so they could gain early access to the building. University lawyer, Tessa Register, says the injunction did delay the process, but the benefit of the delay was overstated. “The university has not retained the benefit of that delay. When the only arbitration proceeding that has ever been enjoined in this case resumed and completed, the university paid nearly a million dollars in interest to dating back to the date of the initial demand before the injunction,” she says. Register says the U-I settled the claim and Modern should not gain any of the benefit for use of the building.

“The university is still not in possession of any property of Modern Piping that it received because of the injunction, nor has it retained any benefit received because of the injunction. So modern piping is not entitled to any unjust enrichment in this case,” Register says. Modern Piping’s lawyer, Mark Weinhardt, says the U-I used the illegitimacy of the injunction to get into the building early and that produced more than 12 million dollars in profit. “Until the project is complete and Modern is off the job, it is Modern’s property,” he says.

The Justices questioned that assertion, saying Modern Piping never had any entitlement to profits or revenue that the university from the hospital facility, and Modern would not take it over and operate the hospital. Weinhardt says the U-I didn’t want to follow the contract. “The parties entered into a contract that gives them that exclusive right to the property unless they, A negotiate a agreement that allows early occupancy or B, Modern completes the job,” Weinhardt says. “And the university didn’t want either one of those things. And so as a consequence, they got this illegal injunction instead.”

The Supreme Court will issue a ruling on the case at a later date.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has narrowly passed a package to hike teacher pay, increase general state support for schools AND keep Area Education Agencies as the main provider of experts who assist schools with special education needs for students. House Speaker Pat Grassley of New Hartford says it provides certainty for students with disabilities and their parents and, in total, amounts to a five percent increase in state support of schools.

“We wanted to make sure that as we went home this weekend that our schools and Iowans had an idea where House Republicans stand and where our final position is going to be on these three topics,” Grassley said. House Republican Leader Matt Windschitl of Missouri Valley says it sends a clear and concise message to the Senate. “We expect for this to grt done because it is a priority,” Windshitl said. “…We need to get this done for our schools and for our kids.”

Under the plan, A-E-As would continue to get 90 percent of state funding for special education services. School districts would be able to spend the remaining 10 percent on district employees, private contractor OR continue to use A-E-A staff. The plan passed with the support of 51 of the 60 House Republicans present last (Thursday) night and is similar to three bills that passed the House in February. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says adjustments in the package appear to be concessions to Governor Kim Reynolds. who called for a major overhaul of A-E-As in January.

“Don’t have kids, families, educators be shrapnel in this game,” Konfrst said. Democrats argued the package falls far short of the state financial support schools need. Representative Sharon Steckman, a Democrat from Mason City who’s a retired teacher, says the plan weakens the A-E-A system because it reduces funding for other A-E-A services, like teacher training and bulk purchasing of school supplies.”Such nonsense,” Steckman said. “Why are we doing this to our kids and the AEAs? Because the governor wants it.”

Representative Chad Ingels, a Republican from Randalia who voted for the bill, says as the father of two children with Down Syndrome, he fought to get more pay for paraeducators in the package. “While AEA personnel are extremely valuable, paraeducators are there every day beside my kids,” Ingels said, “and they’re underpaid.” Republican Representative Skyler Wheeler of Hull, the bill’s floor manager, has a daughter who’s been diagnosed with autism and he also emphasized the importance of paraeducators and keeping A-E-As directly involved in special education services.

“I believe the Lord has placed us in this position for a reason and we have a significant interest in advocating for students with disabilities,” Wheeler said, “and we have done just that.” A few weeks ago, the House took separate votes on general state aid for schools and on teacher pay. The package that cleared the House last (Thursday) night includes the governor’s call for raise salaries for beginning teachers to 50-thousand dollars, plus money to raise the pay of veteran teachers and hourly staff.

In a written statement, Governor Reynolds said the House plan paves a path forward to further strengthen Iowa’s education system in meaningful ways. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver said Senate Republicans will discuss the House package next week and he looks forward to a resolution on education funding, raising starting teacher pay and A-E-A reform.