During the last school board meeting, the Carroll Community School District (CCSD) Board of Education set the top five legislative resolutions they want legislators to address during the upcoming congress. Every spring, the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) sends out legislative priorities, having school districts across the state determine the main topics to have government officials focus on. This year, CCSD’s board members wish to have literacy, a high-quality teacher workforce, mental health, education savings accounts (ESAs), and supplemental state aid (SSA) as this congressional session’s educational priorities. Board members agreed that focusing on literacy as the building block for student achievement and success, establishing preschool programs, early literacy intervention, and supporting Area Education Agencies (AEAs) are vital components of this accomplishment. The district members would like to see the setting of state policies to assist with programs aimed at teacher licensures and professional development to promote the recruitment and retention of a high-quality teacher workforce as another top focus point. With the past few years seeing an increase in mental health, CCSD board members would encourage state officials to promote an increase in access to mental health professionals and services for staff and students to improve overall well-being and reduce dropout rates. The last priorities chosen by the district were in regards to funding, with ESAs being needed to solely help public schools, opposing the expansion of the funding to be used for private or home school education students, and SSAs considering inflation and cost-of-living expenses to reflect the current state’s economy. While these were the CCSD Board of Education’s priorities, other school districts statewide will submit their priorities. The IASB will compile the data together, taking the top majority of responses to the Legislative Resolutions Committee (LRC), which will send lobbyists to legislative sessions to advocate for state government electives on behalf of the Iowa school districts.
