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Millions of dollars for high-poverty schools, English learners and afterschool care  鈥� along with funds from seven other federal programs 鈥� would be rolled into a single block grant under an Iowa proposal being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education.

Submitted March 7, the plan offers a blueprint for Republican governors seeking more control over how federal education funds are spent. The current formulas, according to a brief summary of the plan provided to 社区黑料, result in 鈥�1,400 different funding streams across 325 school districts.鈥�  

鈥淯nfortunately, dollars that flow through the Department of Education typically come with all kinds of bureaucratic strings attached that blunt the impact they might otherwise make,鈥� Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds wrote last week. 鈥淧rescriptive requirements prevent states from scaling innovative programs.鈥�

Iowa isn鈥檛 the only state interested in winning more control over its federal education dollars. But others say granting Iowa the waiver would bypass Congress鈥� authority and could shortchange the marginalized students the money was intended to help.

The proposal comes as the Trump administration moves to dismantle the federal department. In , Education Secretary Linda McMahon said growth in states like Alabama and Louisiana, amid the generally dismal showing on last year鈥檚 national test scores, proves that leaders don鈥檛 need Washington鈥檚 help. 

The Every Student Succeeds Act, the main federal law governing K-12 education, already offers spending flexibility, allowing leaders to combine funds from some individual grant programs. But experts say Iowa鈥檚 request seems to stretch the limits of the law and would need congressional approval. For instance, the law prohibits changes to how $18 billion in Title I funds for low-income students are allocated to districts.

McMahon might nonetheless approve it, they say, to signal support for a more hands-off approach. 

鈥淚 can’t see how there would be a path to making all of these different formula grant programs into one program without Congress,鈥� said Anne Hyslop, director of policy development at All4Ed, a think tank. She worked at the department during the Obama administration and helped draft the ESSA legislation. The largest program, , provides funds for extra staff and services in high-poverty schools. Iowa鈥檚 grant last year was $110 million.  

鈥淭itle I funds have to be spent in Title I schools,鈥� Hyslop said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an understatement to say that a lot of things have happened in the past few months that no one would have ever predicted. I would not be surprised to see something outside of the norm.鈥�

Some think Iowa, which has a universal Education Savings Account program, might use the flexibility to allow more families to spend state funds on . 

The state could argue that vouchers would better serve more vulnerable students, said Douglas Harris, a Tulane University economist and school choice expert.

鈥淐ertainly, the current administration would approve it,鈥� he said. 

The state did not respond to a question over whether promoting school choice is part of the plan.

Iowa鈥檚 waiver request and interest from other states has already drawn concern from Democrats. In a statement Tuesday, Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott, ranking member of the House education committee, called block granting federal education funds 鈥渘ot only illegal but extremely dangerous.鈥�

鈥淐onverting these funds will make it virtually impossible for the federal government to hold states accountable for providing all students with a high-quality education free from discrimination,鈥� his statement said.

The state鈥檚 summary says Iowa has a 鈥渟trong focus on accountability for student outcomes鈥� and would continue to track achievement data for different student groups. On last year鈥檚 National Assessment of Educational Progress, Iowa鈥檚 results landed in the middle of student performance nationally. Its students saw declines in both fourth grade reading and eighth grade math.

McKenzie Snow, director of the Iowa Department of Education, was one of 12 state chiefs who asked McMahon in January to work with Congress on supporting the idea of consolidating multiple programs into a block grant. But that process could drag out, and even with Republicans in control, might not be successful. A waiver could come as early as summer.

Also on the list was Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota鈥檚 longtime superintendent, who is awaiting confirmation to become assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education. 

In a March 14 letter, Hayley Sanon, acting U.S. assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education, told staff she looked forward to working with them to 鈥済et the federal bureaucracy out of your way so you can give parents more choices, improve academic achievement and ensure students reach their God-given potential.鈥�

Department spokeswoman Madi Biedermann confirmed that officials are considering Iowa鈥檚 plan. The department has until early July to make a decision, and other states are watching closely. 

Utah Superintendent Sydnee Dickson, who also signed the chiefs鈥� letter, told 社区黑料 her state wants more flexibility to pursue 鈥渃ompetency-based systems that adhere less to seat time and more about outcomes.鈥�

Oklahoma state Superintendent Ryan Walters, who last year established a , is eyeing a different law for a waiver. He wants to allow families to spend funds from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act on private schools or tutors for students with disabilities, .

鈥楲ots of federal regulations鈥�

In addition to Title I, Iowa receives $16 million from the federal government to and for programs like  bullying prevention, mental health support and school safety measures. Districts already have the option of combining these grants with Title I or with each other to support their own priorities.

The block grant would add into the mix funds for ($5 million) ($4.5 million), migrant students ($3.4 million), ($403,180), ($7.8 million) and ($5 million). 

Education organizations in the state, including the administrators association and the teachers union, told 社区黑料 that they don鈥檛 yet know enough about the plan to comment on  it. States are required to submit comments from the public along with waiver requests, but Iowa education department spokesperson Heather Doe said officials would do that if the federal department approves the waiver and then submit comments along with revisions. 

One policy analyst welcomed the idea and thinks it would help some districts focus more on meeting students鈥� needs than compliance with reporting requirements.

鈥淥ften for smaller, rural districts, any individual funding stream nets a small amount of dollars, but has lots of federal regulations. The funding altogether might actually be able to accomplish some important work,鈥� said Margaret Buckton,  the executive director of the Urban Education Network of Iowa. 鈥淎 low-income student might also be homeless or migratory. When the funding is consolidated, the district can determine which of the services are most appropriate.鈥�

The state鈥檚 summary says it鈥檚 鈥渟teadfast in its commitment to ensuring the civil rights protections鈥� outlined in federal law and that it would still require school districts to explain how they would 鈥渕eet the needs of all students.鈥� 

Iowa is also asking to waive some parts of a separate federal law that provides funds for homeless students in an effort to make services 鈥渕ore comprehensive and better coordinated,鈥� Doe said.

But Barbara Duffield, executive director of SchoolHouse Connection, which advocates for homeless students, criticized the idea.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 鈥渄oes not contain any provision that would allow for a state to distribute funds in any other way, or for any other purpose or population,鈥� she said.

Last year, Iowa received almost $752,000 for homeless students through McKinney-Vento, funds that can pay for extra academic support and transportation so students don鈥檛 have to change schools. A shows many districts are failing to identify students who would qualify for the support.

School choice advocacy

Observers noted that Snow, Iowa鈥檚 education chief, is well versed in ESSA. She worked at the U.S. Department of Education during Trump鈥檚 first term. A private school choice advocate, she helped craft a tax-credit scholarship proposal under former Secretary Betsy DeVos. While the effort failed, the plan could see new life in a major Republicans are finalizing. 

Republicans have wanted to block grant education funds for decades. Most recently, Trump and DeVos pushed the idea during budget negotiations. They proposed to consolidate 29 programs into a $19.4 billion fund that would grant states and districts more say over how to spend the money. They argued the plan would reduce federal overreach and allow the government to cut education department staff. 

But Democrats, who controlled the House at the time, didn鈥檛 go for it. in both houses rejected the idea, and the plan fizzled.

DeVos hasn鈥檛 given up. In December, : 鈥淭ake the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 meddling bureaucrats out of the equation.鈥�

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