Fight Against Proposed Home School Funding Cuts

By: Claire Kellett, Anchor/Reporter

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By Claire Kellett

Story Created: Apr 9, 2008 at 9:26 PM CST

Story Updated: Apr 9, 2008 at 9:26 PM CST

KALONA - The statehouse could soon become a temporary classroom for home school students across Iowa. The students, their families, and many school districts are protesting a proposed cut in funding to home school programs. The students are bringing their books to the capitol next week to let lawmakers know how much their programs rely on state support, and that cutting the funding in half could jeopardize the future of home-school help.

Tucked away in a library corner, Andrea Farrier and her three daughters bury themselves in books. The secret hide-away spot is the home-school library for the Mid-Prairie School District in Southeastern Iowa.

"My husband and I made the decision from early on we wanted to home school our children," says Farrier.

More than 200 students in the district, roughly 15 percent of Mid-Prairie's enrollment, are home schooled. Every school year, the district gets a set amount of money from the state for each of these students. The district's home school assistance program spends that money on things like supervising teachers and enrichment programs.

The Department of Education wants to cut home school funding in half. It says recent reports show most of the districts with such a program only spend half of the money they currently receive. It says the cost adjustment is responsible government spending. Districts like Mid-Prairie say the proposed cut is based on inaccurate information.

"If they could give us a year to adequately report all the expenditures and then look at it," says Jan Childress, Mid-Prairie's home school director.

If that happened, Childress says the Department of Education would see her program spends every last penny, all $650,000. She says chopping her budget in half could kill the program.

"If we got half of the funding, absolutely not," says Childress.

A program that has been helping home school students and their families for eleven years.

A Department of Education spokesman tells TV 9 News they have records of how much districts spent on their home school programs this year. He also says the department's proposal promises not to cut funding below that amount. But again, many districts say those reports do not reflect all the expenses. With about two weeks left in this year's legislative session, it's a toss up whether this bill will go anywhere.

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