Iowa Governor Reynolds Signs Expansive School Choice Bill into Law
-
by
Last night, Governor Reynolds signed HF 847 into law, which will give more children access to education freedom in the state. Iowa joins a growing list of states across the country in what has become a momentous year for school choice. This legislation will grow the state’s existing tax credit scholarship program and improve access to public school options.
Statement from John Schilling, President of the American Federation of Children:
“The Governor laid out an ambitious agenda at the start of the session to expand educational options for students in Iowa. She and the legislature succeeded in achieving greater private school choice through the largest increase ever in the school tuition organization tax credit and a doubling of the parental tuition tax credit, as well as an expansion of open enrollment and charter schools. These changes are a huge win for Iowa students. We would like to thank Governor Reynolds for her unwavering commitment to students and families. Thanks to her leadership, thousands of children will benefit from additional educational opportunities in Iowa.”
Details:
- House File 847 as amended by the Senate this week will increase the cap on the scholarship program from $15 million to $20 million on January 1, 2022 – the largest ever increase in the scholarship program’s history
- The tax credit for donations will be increased from 65% to 75%
- HF 847 includes a doubling of the parental tuition tax credit from $250 to $500 per student. It also makes homeschool families eligible for the tax credit.