A Letter from Senator Harkin Concerning Education in Iowa

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Iowa education budget. This is an important issue and I'm always glad to hear your thoughts.

In the wake of a serious recession, schools in Iowa and across the country face a crushing budget shortfall in the approaching school year. While the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has been successful in sustaining more than 6,000 education jobs in Iowa, school systems across the board are on the edge of a "funding cliff" as these funds expire. Education Secretary Arne Duncan predicts that school systems nationwide could eliminate as many as 300,000 education jobs, from teachers and librarians, to bus drivers and support staff.