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The floods of 2008 hit eastern Iowa hard. The small town of Waverly was no exception and St. Paul’s Lutheran School was one of the many buildings affected. The basement filled with water which continued to rise, reaching two-and-a-half feet deep in the first floor classrooms.
Classrooms, the office and staff room were destroyed as were the school’s boiler system, water heater, desks, pre-K and first grade teaching materials, and classroom doors. In all, the school’s damages totaled more than $170,000.
The community rallied around the school’s students. Volunteers helped the school to prepare for on-time reopening for fall classes–just 80 days after the flood. Student Tuition Organization (STO) funds helped ensure that impacted students also could afford to return to school. “It was a relief to know that our families in need had the resources to support their tuition,” says Christi Lines, school principal at St. Paul’s. “The increased STO support helped lift that burden for us, so we could focus on flood recovery and then starting a great new school year.”
St. Paul’s received tremendous help from the nonpublic school community, including donations and supplies from schools in Iowa and support from ELCA schools around the country. Principal Lines adds, “More importantly, I am confident many Iowa nonpublic schools lifted us up in prayer.”
Last autumn I wrote about the successes of the school choice movement around the country in 2008. Since that time, much has changed on the landscape. The Washington D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program is now in peril due to Congressional action. The Arizona Supreme Court declared the state’s special needs and foster child scholarship programs unconstitutional. The economy has taken a downturn like most of us have never, causing a decline in donations to scholarship programs and at the same time, an increased need for those scholarships.
School choice by nature involves politics and money, but at the core of the movement is the reason for its success – people. Washington D.C. parents are currently in the fight to avoid sending their children back to failing public schools. In Iowa, STO families met in earnest with their legislators this winter to tell them how vitally important STO tuition grants are to them. Nonpublic school children gathered at the State Capitol to show their enthusiasm for their schools and talk with their legislators about the contributions these schools make to our state. All of these people are part of a nationwide movement that spreads educational freedom to those who are without.
Politics and economics may work against us at times, but nothing is stronger than the human spirit. It’s that spirit that will bring educational opportunities to all families in Iowa and around the country.
As of the time this e-newsletter is written, an amendment expanding the STO program waits on the Governor’s desk for signature. The General Assembly passed SF 470, containing Senate amendment 3302, which allows corporations to donate to School Tuition Organizations. Under this change, corporations can receive up to 25% of the tax credits allocated to each STO. This is a fantastic addition that will give STOs another source of donations that will help them exhaust their tax credits and maximize their ability to help Iowa families.
Sign up for automatic updates on this and other legislation on the Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education website at www.iowaace.org or the Iowa Advocates for Choice in Education website at www.iowaadvocates.org.
The 2009 Education Celebration marked the sixth year for this salute to nonpublic in Iowa. Hundreds of students converged on the Iowa State Capitol to visit with their legislators and demonstrate the benefits of Iowa’s nonpublic schools and the STO program. Activities included table displays, vocal performances and a school choice rally featuring Senator Jeff Danielson (D) of Cedar Falls/Waterloo and Representative Rod Roberts (R) of Carroll. Students, parents, teachers and administrators traveled from the far reaches of the state - Council Bluffs, Davenport, Denison, Boone, Cedar Rapids and points in between. Attendees were given the rare opportunity to meet with legislators, tour the Capitol and see our government in action. It was a fantastic day that emphasized the significance of our schools, the talents of our children and the value of the STO program.
School Tuition Organizations are charitable organizations that give out at least 90% of their total donations in tuition grants to qualified students. These tuition grants enable lower and middle-income families to attend an accredited, nonpublic school of their choice.
If you'd like to help a child afford an accredited nonpublic school, or if you'd like to apply for a tuition grant, please see our list of all School Tuition Organizations (STOs) in Iowa.
As a new staff member at Iowa ACE, I am thrilled to be able to observe first-hand the educational opportunities brought about as a result of the passage of the Educational Opportunities Act on May 2, 2006. As the floor manager of this legislation, it was truly one of the proudest days in my tenure serving as a state representative to watch SF 2409 pass on the House floor with a 75-19 vote.
I have been a resident of Ankeny, Iowa, for twenty-three years and I was honored to represent my community in the Iowa Legislature for the past ten years. Prior to serving in the Legislature I served on the Ankeny Community School Board. Currently I am serving on the Board of Directors for the Ankeny Christian Academy Foundation, Ruth Harbor and the New Horizons Adult Day Center. My husband, Steve, and I have three grown children and have been members of Faith Christian Fellowship of Elkhart for over twenty five years.
As the Outreach and Fund Development Coordinator for Iowa ACE, I am very excited to increase awareness to Iowans about the school choice opportunities in Iowa. This increased awareness will allow many Iowans to choose to donate to their local STO, send their children to a private school, or donate to Iowa ACE to help spread the school choice message. There’s a lot of work to do—I’m up for the challenge!
P.O. Box 12219 |
Des Moines, IA 50312 |
515-323-0687 | www.iowaace.org
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STO Funds Flow to 
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
New Addition to the Iowa ACE Family—Carmine Boal