Iowa AEA administrators explain changes before overhaul takes effect

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Television Iowa Capitol Bureau) – Iowa’s Area Education Agencies are racing to make changes before reforms passed by the legislature take effect on July 1.

Nothing will change with special education funding this year since AEAs will get to keep 100% of funds, but significant changes are coming with media services and education services this fall.

This upcoming school year will be a transition year for AEAs. In addition to special education, they provide resources like education services, such as literacy and math coaches, and media services to help with IT and technology. Beginning in July, districts will only be required to send 40% of their funds to AEAs for it.

Cindy Yelick is the chief administrator of the Heartland AEA in Central Iowa. Yelick says staff are leaving due to the overhaul. Heartland won’t fill roughly 50 open positions, which means parents may experience less flexibility with services. However, she says they’re working to preserve as much frontline staff as possible and parents shouldn’t be worried.

Dan Cox is the chief administrator with the Northwest AEA. He says about 10% of their staff, or roughly 30 employees are leaving. Cox says the departures have been spread across the AEA so impacts won’t be too severe. Cox too says there will be some noticeable changes to services. For example, That means parents may have access to six literacy coaches rather than eight.

Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office maintains employees who leave are doing so for personal reasons and not due to the legislation.

Both AEA chiefs say making changes has been incredibly difficult.

“There’s grieving because people have really invested in that equity of services across the state for years and thinking about how you now move into a different model so there’s some sadness. I would also say that there’s part of it that is a challenge that is invigorating to people,” Yelick said.

“It’s just the unknown and then the volume of support from the public that said ‘hey, no, stop, slow this down’ and then to have that just kind of you know brushed aside and changes made anyway was really tough to take for a lot of our staff too so they’ve been through the emotional grinder,” Cox said.

Cox says parents should continue to ask teachers and their school superintendents about how changes to services will look at their school.

Both administrators say next year will be even tougher. That’s when school districts won’t be required to use AEAs for those media and education services if they don’t want to.

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