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March 19, 2024 |  By: Mark Moran - Public News Service

Iowa lawmakers dismiss private school voucher ethics complaint

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By Mark Moran - Public News Service

An ethics committee in the Republican-led Iowa House has dismissed a complaint filed by a group of community activists against a state lawmaker for his support of the state's Education Savings Accounts.

The accounts allow parents to use public money for their child's private education. Rep. Dean Fisher, R-Montour, has plans to open a private school in his district and voted in favor of legislation to create the program.

Tim Glaza, special projects director for the group Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, believes Fisher's vote was clearly a conflict of interest.

"They want to have about 120 students in the school," Glaza pointed out. "If you do the math, that's over $900,000 of public money that will be going to his personal school every year."

While he did not address his plans for a private school in his response, Fisher argued the ethics complaint was politically motivated and said he was fulfilling a campaign promise by voting to create the program.

Supporters of Education Savings Accounts said they know better how to educate their children than public schools and should be able to use their tax dollars to pay for private school. Recent polls show 62% of Iowans oppose such programs, for siphoning money from the public school system.

Glaza called on lawmakers to require Fisher to abstain from voting on future voucher bills.

"They want to expand the voucher program," Glaza outlined. "They could increase the amount. They can expand it to home-school. They can expand what the vouchers can be used for."

Glaza argued any such changes would mean an even bigger hit on public schools. Thirteen states have some form of education savings account or private school vouchers and others are considering them.