Iowa Catholic Families Say NO to "School Choice" and ESAs!

As Catholics, we believe that all children regardless of religion, race, learning ability, socioeconomic status or geographic location have a right to quality education. It is our duty as Catholics and the mission or the Iowa Catholic Conference and the Iowa Catholic leadership to protect that right and provide for the common good.

The Iowa Catholic Conference and Catholic Bishops of Iowa strongly support and are actively working with the Alliance for Choice in Education (ACES) and their PAC, with Americans for Prosperity (AFP), and with several Iowa legislators to introduce legislation allowing for the creation school choice in the guise of Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs). ESAs will allow families of private school children and homeschool children access to Iowa tax payer funds that can be used toward private educational expenses. While we strongly support our Catholic schools, we feel that introducing ESAs will have real and direct ramifications on public schools, by diverting much needed money from already underfunded public schools. We feel this is not what is in the best interest for the common good of all Iowa children.

- Currently 92% of children in Iowa attend public schools.
- 42% of Iowa children live in poverty.
- 1 in 8 children have a disability that requires special educational needs.
- Many rural Catholics don't have geographic access to parochial schools.

Public school funding in Iowa has averaged only a 1.8% yearly increase over the last 8 years. There's only been 1 of the last 8 years, when state funding kept up with costs, and 7 years when public schools were forced to make cuts. While public educators have never worked harder or more efficiently, Iowa public schools are asked do more, with less. Legislators have told Iowans, that the money is simply not available in the state budget for more adequate funding.

ACES claims that ESAs will not take away funding from Iowa public schools. We feel it is disingenuous to make this claim knowing that ESA money would have to come from somewhere in the state budget or from a tax credit that could otherwise benefit public schools.

We question how at this point in time, the Iowa Catholic Conference and Iowa Catholic leadership feel it's appropriate to ask for money from Iowa's budget for school choice when adequate funding is not available for public schools that benefit all students in Iowa regardless of a very personal belief in faith.

As Catholics, our commitment is to the common good, and we must follow our best understanding of what is good for all children in Iowa.