Iowa
Iowa is now paying for more than 27,000 students to attend private schools. Here’s why:
Iowa students using taxpayer-funded education savings accounts to pay for their private education grew to 27,866 participants, according to the Iowa Department of Education.
That’s up more than 60% from the roughly 17,000 students who used the funds for the 2023-24 school year.
The certified enrollment numbers released Friday come from the October 2024 student count and are used to help determine public school funding for the 2025-26 school year, according to the department’s news release.
Education savings accounts and a law that expanded public charter schools were part of Iowa Republicans’ multi-year campaign to increase school choice options.
The ESA program allowed families making up to 400% of the 2024 Federal Poverty Guidelines to apply for approximately $7,800 in public funds per student to cover private school costs, including tuition, according to the state Department of Education.
In all, the state could end up disbursing about $218 million in funds by the end of the school year.
This is the final year of the program’s income restrictions. Next year, the program will be open to all Iowa families, regardless of wealth.
Here is what you should know about the latest ESA, open enrollment and public school student counts:
Has the number of students attending Iowa’s private schools increased?
Yes. Private school enrollment rose nearly 9%, according to state numbers.
“Certified enrollment at Iowa accredited nonpublic schools was 39,356, up from 36,195 last year,” according to the department’s news release.
The Iowa Catholic Conference announced earlier this month that 25,265 students were enrolled for the 2024-25 school year in Catholic schools. Of those students, 16,714, or roughly two-thirds, used the taxpayer-funded education savings accounts.
Iowa Catholic Conference “is the official public policy voice of the Catholic bishops,” according to its website.
What does public school enrollment look around Iowa?
Public school districts saw certified enrollment fall from 483,699 during the 2023-24 school year to 480,665 for 2024-25 school year, a drop of less than 1% statewide, according to the news release.
“State enrollment projections from May 2022, prior to the passing of the Students First Education Savings Account (ESA) program, show a downward trend in public school enrollment starting in the 2023-24 school year and continuing through at least 2026-27,” the release said.
How many students open enrolled out of their home districts?
More than 43,000 public school students open enrolled to another school district, according to the news release.
How many ESA participants are kindergarten students?
Education savings account participants entering kindergarten totaled 3,960.
Did any ESA participants move from public to private school this year?
In all, 1,905 students are using ESAs to go to a private school who attended a public school last school year.
Which schools are kids attending?
State numbers show that 2,968 students living in the Des Moines Public Schools district chose to attend a private school this school year. That’s up from 2,481 students who attended private school during the 2023-24 school year. During the 2022-23 school year, 2,593 area children attended private schools.
The schools Des Moines area students attend include Joshua Christian Academy, Dowling Catholic High School, St. Anthony School and the Bergman Academy.
More than 13% of public school districts had no students living within their district boundaries using education savings accounts, according to the department’s news release. More than 37% of districts had up to 10 ESA students, almost 29% of districts had 11 to 99 ESA students and another 20% had 100 or more ESA students.
Do districts lose state funding when kids leave?
The funds for the roughly $7,826 education savings accounts comes from money that otherwise would have gone to public schools. School districts do receive approximately $1,205 for each ESA student who leaves the district.
That money is meant to help offset the funding loss for public schools.
Where can I find the enrollment numbers?
Certified enrollment numbers for 2024-25 for public schools and accredited nonpublic schools can be found on the department’s website.
Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or svhernandez@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @svhernandez, Bluesky at @svhernandez.bsky.social or Facebook at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.
Iowa
Groundbreaking held for Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s 16th Woman Build
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) — Volunteers broke ground Saturday for Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s 16th Woman Build, honoring a retired University of Iowa nursing professor.
Liz Swanson, a retired nursing professor, was chosen as this year’s honoree for her decades of impact. The Women Build program focuses on including women in every step of home construction.
While the home is built in Swanson’s honor, it will go to a fellow nurse and mother of three. The family applied through the affordable housing program.
Swanson said she’s proud to be part of a project that directly connects to her nursing legacy.
“It’s very special to have the unique opportunity to help the nurse who is working nights,” Swanson said.
Swanson said stable housing gives families the security to plan for the future.
“It means security for families. We talked briefly to the children and they said, ‘we’re gonna have our own bedroom,’” Swanson said.
Volunteers are set to begin work on the home in August. Those interested in volunteering can find more information here.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa
Iowa Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Midday results for May 8, 2026
The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.
Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Friday, May 8, 2026, winning numbers for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-3 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-5-8
Evening: 9-9-2
Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-4 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-2-7-3
Evening: 0-7-0-6
Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Iowa
Iowa SNAP restrictions raise concerns over confusion, impact on summer food aid
IOWA — Iowa’s new restrictions on SNAP benefits are drawing concern from advocates who say the changes could make it harder for families to buy food and could put future summer assistance for children at risk.
The state’s SNAP waiver took effect January 1, 2026, limiting what items can be purchased based on Iowa’s taxable food list. While that includes widely discussed restrictions on soda and candy, the policy also affects certain prepared foods, creating confusion for shoppers.
“Something as small as whether or not a utensil is included in a food item actually impacts whether or not you can continue to purchase that item using your SNAP benefits,” Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network, said.
Advocates say the rules can be difficult to navigate, especially for people relying on quick meals. Items like prepackaged salads or sandwiches may or may not qualify depending on how they are packaged.
At the same time, new legislation slated for the next session at the statehouse could make those restrictions more permanent by requiring Iowa to continue seeking federal approval for the waiver.
That’s raising additional concerns about the future of Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” which provides food assistance to children when school is out.
“This makes that food assistance dependent on a decision made in Washington, D.C. that is just arbitrary and not really dependent on the needs of Iowans and Iowa children,” Chickering said.
The program is expected to help around 220,000 children in Iowa during the summer months. Advocates worry leaving it up to federal approval of the waiver could jeopardize that support if policies change. They also point out that SNAP plays a major role in addressing hunger compared to other resources.
“We know that for every one meal provided by an emergency feeding organization, SNAP provides nine,” Chickering said.
Advocates say they support improving nutrition but argue there are more effective, evidence based ways to do that without limiting food choices.
For now, organizations across Iowa are working to help families understand the new rules, while also pushing lawmakers to reconsider how the policy could impact food access moving forward.
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