Iowa
Over 30K Iowa students OK’d for education savings accounts
DES MOINES — More than 30,000 Iowa students have been approved for a state program to use state dollars to pay private school tuition in the upcoming school year, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Friday.
The numbers indicate an increase of more than 11,000 students from the 2023-24 school year. It’s about 10,000 more than the nonpartisan legislative services agency estimated would participate when the law was passed in 2023.
The Republican governor made the announcement at the annual Family Leadership Summit hosted by the conservative evangelical organization The Family Leader during a conversation with Betsy DeVos, the former U.S. secretary of education under then-President Donald Trump.
The state received 35,417 applicants for the program before the June 30 deadline, Reynolds’ spokesperson Kollin Crompton said. Applications are still being reviewed, but more than 30,000 have been approved so far.
Approved students will be able to use their full per-pupil state funding to pay for tuition at an accredited private school. Not all of those students may end up attending a private school with the funds. If a student does not attend a private school, the account is closed and the money remains with the state.
During the conference, DeVos praised Reynolds’ push to pass the education savings account program. Reynolds endorsed primary challengers to Republicans who opposed a narrower version of the plan in 2022, many of which lost their primaries to candidates who supported the program.
“She really did set a new tone when taking on members of her party who refused to make that step to give families more power,” DeVos said. “And it was not without a lot of difficulty and a lot of political capital, shall we say. But clearly she knew where her constituents in Iowa were and are on that subject.”
Reynolds said the COVID-19 pandemic, when instruction was moved primarily online and parents had a closer view of educational instruction, solidified her support for private school choice initiatives.
She said the program will give families who otherwise could not afford private school the opportunity to send students to a school that best fits their needs. About 60 percent of the approved applicants last year already attended private school, while 40 percent were public school students.
“We had school choice prior to this … but it was only if you had the means to do that,” Reynolds said. “And that is just not right. It’s not fair. And so I forged on a mission to get things turned around.”
Reynolds said she believes her education policies will improve public schools as well as private schools. She pointed to open enrollment changes, a teacher salary increase and literacy standards passed in this year’s legislative session as examples of improvements to public schools under her administration.
The education savings account program was Reynolds’ top policy priority in 2023, and one of several education changes she has pursued in recent years as governor. The program cost the state about $128 million last budget year.
This year, Reynolds signed a bill into law that overhauls the state’s area education agencies, which provide special education support to Iowa school districts. The law also increased the minimum teacher salary to $50,000 by the 2025-26 school year.
Under the law, funding that now goes to the AEAs will eventually go directly to school districts, and they will need to contract with the AEAs to provide special education services. AEA funding for media and other education services will go directly to the school districts, which can spend it on any general fund purpose outside the AEAs.
Reynolds calls DeVos role model
DeVos served as the U.S. secretary of education under Trump from 2017 to 2021. She is a strong proponent of private school choice policies and has led several conservative education think tanks.
Reynolds said DeVos has been a role model for her and said she was inspired by DeVos’ work as secretary of education.
“You never backed away from your beliefs or what you went there to do and I thought if she can do this at the federal level, I could do this at the state level,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds in May denied suggestions, first reported in the Daily Caller, that she was interested in serving as secretary of education in a potential second Trump administration.
The conservative outlet attributed an unnamed spokesperson who said Reynolds may be interested in the position. But Reynolds said the report “mistook the way I talk about education” as being interested in the job.
“I am passionate about education. I’m proud of what we’re doing,” Reynolds said at the time. “I mean, it started with STEM, it started with registered apprenticeship programs, literacy, parental choice. So I’ve got a lot of work to do as governor.”
Democrats have opposed many of Reynolds’ education policies, saying they will weaken public schools and funnel taxpayer dollars to unaccountable private institutions. In a statement, Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said the Iowa GOP has gone too far in its education policies.
“Iowans are sick and tired of politics. Governor Reynolds celebrating her voucher bill with billionaire Betsy DeVos and the special interests today is a huge reason why,” Konfrst said in a statement. “Iowans overwhelmingly oppose vouchers because public money is for public education. They don’t want more public schools to close and they sure don’t want their kids to lose access to special education services.”
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Clarissa Chun’s National Duals press conference
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Clarissa Chun discusses program’s first loss
CEDAR FALLS − The undefeated start to the Iowa women’s wrestling program has ended after the Hawkeyes lost a dual for the first time in program history at the NWCA National Duals on Jan. 10.
A 40-5 win over William Jewell College and a 39-3 victory over Sacred Heart set up a major semifinal clash with rival North Central College on Jan. 10.
Iowa won six of 10 matches in the semifinals. Karlee Brooks beat national runner-up Yele Aycock by a 8-4 decision, 138-pounder Skye Realin defeated a former national champion by a 6-6 score on criteria in Claire Dicugno with a four-point throw at the buzzer, Reese Larramendy knocked off No. 1 ranked and former Hawkeye teammate Bella Mir in a 10-4 decision at 145 and 180-pounder Kylie Welker wrestled and won in just her second match back after a period of rest to start the season.
All of those wins helped put Iowa in front, 21-18, going into the final bout at 207 pounds.
What did the Hawkeyes in was losses by fall at 110, 124 and 207. The 207 loss, with Dasia Yearby pinning Jaycee Foeller in the first period, gave North Central a 23-21 victory despite the Cardinals dropping six of 10 matches. North Central also scored team points in nine of 10 bouts because they scored match points and did not lose by fall.
As a result, the Iowa program’s 42-0 unblemished record in duals was broken.
The final result was eerily similar to the dual between the two teams at the same tournament two years ago, where the Hawkeyes also lost six of 10 bouts, but got crucial bonus points and at least one team point in all 10 bouts to escape with a 21-20 win.
Iowa women’s wrestling coach Clarissa Chun emphasized to her team two years ago that every point mattered in the win. This time around, it worked against them as the Cardinals got the upset victory.
“Every point does matter,” Chun said. “You can’t replicate those moments in those times, in certain moments and positions. We got to be better at finishing, that’s apparent. We can get to the legs, but we got to continue to wrestle through that to the strong finish.”
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Skye Realin discusses loss to North Central
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Skye Realin discusses loss to North Central
Chun said the emotions were raw afterwards, with wrestlers in and out of the lineup taking the loss to heart. Welker, who won her bout 8-2 against Jael Miller, took it hard since she nearly had a pin that could have flipped the final result.
“There was a lot of us that felt it was hard to take a loss, especially for me, and there was a couple other girls that took it pretty hard,” Welker said. “I have girls that look to me, so I’m like, ‘I got to pull myself together and step forward with them, alongside them so we can finish this tournament.’”
Ultimately, the Hawkeyes finished with a win in the third-place bout shortly after by defeating a solid Grand Valley State team, 26-15. The main difference, they said, was the positive energy exuded from the coaching staff to not harp on the past and look for the next best thing.
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Karlee Brooks discusses loss to North Central
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Karlee Brooks discusses loss to North Central
While the loss brings an unfamiliar feeling to the program, it’s something they knew would come eventually. While it was their main rival today, McKendree will also present a tough challenge to the field when the NCAA Championships come in March.
Behind stars Welker and Kennedy Blades, rising wrestlers like Brooks and Realin, as well as proven veterans in Larramendy, Brianna Gonzalez and Foeller, Iowa will have a good chance to win a third-consecutive team title this season.
Even in a crushing loss, they got some key wins from those like Realin, Larramendy and Brooks that bode well for the Hawkeyes in the future. The places they faltered were spots they’ll have confidence to bounce back or won’t apply come the NCAA Championships, like Nyla Valencia’s loss by fall after controlling most of the bout at 110 pounds, and Welker and Blades giving up team points in their matches.
Regardless, the third-place finish served as a reminder to the program and fans alike that this year is going to bring Iowa’s toughest challenge yet.
“Everyone on our team knows it, this sport has depth,” Chun said. “There are great wrestlers across the entire country.”
Iowa women’s wrestling’s results at NWCA National Duals
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Kylie Welker’s National Duals press conference
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Kylie Welker discusses program’s first loss
Round of 16: Iowa 40, William Jewell College 5
- 103 – Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Juliana Alejandro (William Jewell College) TF 11-0
- 110 – Nyla Valencia (Iowa) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
- 117 – Alexandra Waitsman (William Jewell College) over Harlee Hiller (Iowa) Fall 1:04
- 124 – Isabella Gonzales (Iowa) over Miyah Palacios (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
- 131 – Emily Frost (Iowa) over Shelby Kemp (William Jewell College) Fall 1:22
- 138 – Lilly Luft (Iowa) over Zainab Ibrahim (William Jewell College) Fall 2:01
- 145 – Cadence Diduch (Iowa) over Mckinzie Ross (William Jewell College) TF 11-0
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Paige Barber (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
- 180 – Katja Osteen (Iowa) over Jianna Chavez (William Jewell College) Fall 1:22
- 207 – Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) over Desiree Hall (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
Quarterfinal: Iowa 39, Sacred Heart University 3
- 103 – Valarie Solorio (Iowa) over Aaliyah Payne-Parris (Sacred Heart) Fall 0:54
- 110 – Ava Bayless (Iowa) over Tiffany Stoshak (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 117 – Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Tatiana Walker (Sacred Heart) TF 11-0
- 124 – Cali Leng (Iowa) over Lauren Nguyen (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 131 – Bella Williams (Iowa) over Bella Sowards (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 138 – Skye Realin (Iowa) over Elleahna Anderson (Sacred Heart) Fall 2:21
- 145 – Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Selena Sifuentes shaffer (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Love Daley (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Madeline Hodges (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 207 – Josephine Larson (Sacred Heart) over Libby Dix (Iowa) Dec 5-2
Semifinal: North Central College 23, Iowa 21
- 103 – Valarie Solorio (Iowa) over Brianne Graves (North Central College) TF 12-0
- 110 – Kaelani Shufeldt (North Central College) over Nyla Valencia (Iowa) Fall 5:38
- 117 – Riley Rayome (North Central College) over Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) Dec 3-3
- 124 – Sara Sterner (North Central College) over Cali Leng (Iowa) Fall 1:45
- 131 – Karlee Brooks (Iowa) over Yele Aycock (North Central College) Dec 8-4
- 138 – Skye Realin (Iowa) over Claire Dicugno (North Central College) Dec 6-6
- 145 – Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Bella Mir (North Central College) Dec 10-4
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Taylor Graveman (North Central College) TF 11-1
- 180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Jael Miller (North Central College) Dec 8-2
- 207 – Dasia Yearby (North Central College) over Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) Fall 1:38
Third-place dual: Iowa 26, Grand Valley State 15
- 103 – Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Rayana Sahagun (Grand Valley State) Dec 7-0
- 110 – Ava Bayless (Iowa) over Kiely Tabaldo (Grand Valley State) Dec 6-0
- 117 – Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Libby Roberts (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
- 124 – Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State) over Isabella Gonzales (Iowa) Fall 0:37
- 131 – Karlee Brooks (Iowa) over Aspen Blasko (Grand Valley State) Dec 8-3
- 138 – Katerina Lange (Grand Valley State) over Lilly Luft (Iowa) TF 10-0
- 145 – Cadence Diduch (Iowa) over Margaret Buurma (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Noelle Gaffney (Grand Valley State) Fall 3:45
- 180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Maddison Ward (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
- 207 – Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley State) over Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) Fall 4:47
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
Skip to content
TAMA COUNTY, Iowa — A pair of power outages left more than 700 people without power in Tama County Friday afternoon.
Alliant Energy says the larger outage, just north of Garwin, was caused by a semi-truck striking one of their power poles. That outages impacted 690 customers as of 5 p.m. Friday.
The smaller outage impacted roughly 36 people in Tama. The outage was caused by equipment needing repairs.
Alliant says crews are on site and working to fix both outages.
Detroit Red Wings blank Montreal Canadiens behind John Gibson
Watch Bob Weir Perform ‘Touch of Grey’ with Dead and Co. at His Final Live Appearance
Man dies after dog attack in Dallas home, police say
Miami‑Dade crowds join nationwide protests after deadly ICE shooting
Red Sox shed light on plans for outfield, including Ceddanne Rafaela’s role
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Video: Raising a Baby in Altadena’s Ashes
Trump signs order to protect Venezuela oil revenue held in US accounts
What Canada, accustomed to extreme winters, can teach Europe
New video shows fatal Minnesota ICE shooting from officer’s perspective
Federal judge blocks Trump from cutting childcare funds to Democratic states over fraud concerns
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology4 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX6 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Dallas, TX2 days agoAnti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
-
Iowa4 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Delaware2 days agoMERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
-
Health6 days agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
-
Nebraska4 days agoOregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska