An amendment to the Iowa Constitution offered in the Iowa Senate last week will likely give local school districts across the state something they have wanted for a long time.
Senate Joint Resolution 3, sponsored by Sen. Brad Zaun (R-Urbandale), must first be approved by both chambers of the Iowa General Assembly and again in the next General Assembly –which convenes in 2017 and 2018 – before it can be placed on a general election ballot. It must then be approved in two consecutive elections before it is ratified.
If approved, it would provide “home rule” for local school districts. This would allow local school districts wide latitude to enact their own rules and regulations, and specifically in the area of curriculum selection. It would not allow school districts to enact their own taxing authorities, unless authorized by the legislature.
The Iowa State Education Association is opposed to the legislation, while School Administrators of Iowa is undecided.
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