As the Iowa legislature opens its new session, community leaders from the Quad Cities have a suggestion - update the school funding formula so all school districts in the state are treated the same. That was the message Tuesday at a news conference sponsored by the chamber of commerce.
Under the current formula that's 40 years old, Davenport and some other districts are forced to spend up to 175 dollars less per student.
Kelli Grubbs, past chair of the Quad Cities Chamber board of directors and president of VictoryStore.com, says the formula is unfair.
"I think every person, from a moral standpoint, should be concerned when you have inequities in the way we fund education for all students. From a business perspective, the way our students are educated in our community absolutely affects our workforce training and all of the other things that are important for us to have productive, successful people in our society."
She is also past chair of the Quad Cities Chamber board of directors.
And she says as a business person it doesn't make sense to use a formula that's 40 years old, and way out of date.
In December, state officials rejected a request from the Davenport School District to use reserve funds and bring its spending per student up to the level of other districts in this area. State officials have also filed an ethics complaint against Superintendent Art Tate for spending more than the formula allows.
