When the Fort Madison school district voted to end its sports sharing programs early this month, it got the governor’s attention.
The public school had been sharing multiple programs with students from Holy Trinity, and wrestling to Central Lee. In a statement issued by the school at the time and reprinted by the Fort Madison Daily Democrat:
In January, Governor Reynolds signed a bill making state education funding that had been designated for public schools available for students attending private schools. That dramatic shift, engineered by state lawmakers, has caused many schools in Iow[a] to reconsider their sharing agreements as private schools now have more resources to fund their own athletic programs.
The following week, the governor responded. From the Pen City Current:
The law also provides $1,205 “backfill” per student to the public schools for every student in the district that is enrolled in a private school. That funding would begin in the next school year, according to state officials, and would amount to $355,000 per year in additional funding for the Fort Madison district.
Reynolds said if the district is going to punish the kids, then maybe the state should look at allowing the $355,000 to follow the students as well, to help offset the costs of the athletic programs.
The day after that (late Thursday, April 20), Fort Madison and Holy Trinity were re-engaged in talks for sports sharing. Fort Madison’s school board president told the Daily Democrat the governor’s comments were a non-factor.
Earlier this week, Fort Madison in a special meeting approved a sharing deal with Holy Trinity where the latter would pay a $20,000 annual fee to the former, said the Current.