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Iowa school districts increasingly turn to debt to meet demands

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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. 

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