Parents Host Legislative Breakfast to Discuss Education Issues
Parents are invited to attend a breakfast meeting with area legislators on Saturday, December 10.
The Community Legislative Action Team, a group of parents and concerned community members, is hosting an event with Polk County area legislators to discuss issues important to students at Des Moines Public Schools. A Legislative Breakfast is scheduled on Saturday, December 10, from 9-10 AM at Central Campus in Des Moines.
The parent group is advocating legislators on three key policy priorities, including preschool funding for low-income students, funding for English Language Learners, and extension of the SAVE one-cent penny sales tax to support funding school infrastructure.
“The first 2,000 days of a child’s life are critical to their future with approximately 90% of a child’s brain developed before age five. High quality early learning environments can provide a child with a strong start and prepare them to enter the classroom ready to learn. This could be beneficial to Iowa’s implementation of the third grade reading retention program, which has failed to receive funding support. Research has shown, children living in poverty experiencing a high-quality preschool environment scored higher on third grade reading assessment than their peers without a quality preschool experience.” said Kelli Soyer, a parent volunteer.
“The SAVE one-cent sales tax is critical to school infrastructure funding. The average age of the school buildings in Des Moines is 65 years. The ongoing need to assure building safety and enhance ever-changing technology is critical for our children’s learning. The ability of the District to bond for future projects will soon end unless the legislature extends the sunset based 2029, the current sunset date.” stressed parent leader, Louisa Dykstra.
The breakfast is an opportunity for legislators to hear parents’ concerns about educational issues. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions and engage with local legislators on educational issues.
