Iowa’s K-12 public schools would get a 3 percent increase in per-pupil state funding for the next school year under proposals from the Republican majorities in the House and Senate — larger than the increase sought by the governor but smaller than what Democrats wanted.

Rep. Pat Grassley, the House speaker from New Hartford, said House Republicans also will support a 3 percent public school funding increase.

“We know that’s something that works in the budget,” Grassley told reporters Thursday. “We thought that that was a very, very solid number to be able to show support for our public school systems.”

Earlier this session, statehouse Republicans approved a new program that, at full implementation in four years, will each year make roughly $7,600 in state-funded private school aid available for any K-12 student in Iowa. The program is projected to cost the state $345 million annually.

Read the entire article here.