Iowa school districts increasingly turn to debt to meet demands
Iowa school districts are increasingly turning to debt to handle student enrollments and aging facilities, with one district owing as much as $35,448 per student, reports the Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism. Iowa school districts and Area Education Agencies carried $3.8 million in debt during fiscal year 2018, up 2.6 percent from the previous year, according to the Iowa state treasurer’s office. High- and low-growth districts alike feel significant pressure to renovate aging facilities to keep up with modern teaching methods and attract families that may choose to send kids outside of district lines — lowering the amount of supplemental state aid per student school districts would receive.