With the Iowa Senate showing overwhelming support for increased funding for K-12 education this week, university and Board of Regent officials say they are optimistic that such an early commitment to education bodes well for higher education funding.

Wasting no time, the Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to give Iowa K-12 schools a 4 percent increase for allowable growth, amounting to an increase of $100 million in state funding for the 2006-07 school year.

With the Senate taking little time to act and Gov. Tom Vilsack’s address to legislators emphasizing the need for state educational funding, higher education officials say there are positive signs that Iowa universities could see the same commitment.

Recent state revenue estimates indicate revenues have improved from last year, which could add to support for university funding.

According to Senate records, the state percentage of revenue growth for the budget year ending July 1, 2004, is 2 percent, potentially climbing to 4 percent for both the 2005 and 2006 budget years.

“We are in an upswing in our economy this year, so we think the economy is doing better and we anticipate there will be adequate resources in 2007 for education,” Sen. Paul McKinley, R-Chariton, said.

While revenue streams and funding formulas differ greatly between K-12 and higher education, some Iowa legislatures say they hope the Senate’s initiative will lead to increased funding for the regent institutions.

“While these education issues are not directly linked, I would certainly hope it would lead to increased funding for the universities and a commitment of bipartisan support to that effort,” said Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames.

Yet both Quirmbach and McKinley, as well as many other senators, remain hesitant to make a similar commitment before the governor releases his budget recommendations.

“The budget is tight again this year, but tuition and fees have gone up at unconscionable rates these past five years,” said Quirmbach, who is a member of the Senate Education Committee.

Regent university funding was cut by nearly $162 million during the past four years, causing tuition to increase by 55.9 percent since the 2000-01 school year.

Even though these are positive signs and legislative action is not expected until March, regent, university and student officials are still pressuring the General Assembly.

“Support seems very strong for the concept of the partnership,” said Gary Steinke, deputy executive and public affairs director for the Board of Regents.

“We were cut a lot of money and the people who bore the blunt of the cuts were Iowa Students and their families. Somebody has to pay the bill and it’s time to say that students and families don’t have to foot so much of that bill.”

Board of Regents President John Forsyth will make a presentation before the House and Senate’s Joint Education Appropriations Committee on behalf of the regent institutions Feb. 1. The regents have been taking a more active role in communicating with legislators.

Such efforts are needed as Iowa legislators have said that the requested $40 million increase for university budgets over the next four years is too much, Steinke said.

If the Legislature agreed to the partnership, by fiscal year 2010 state appropriations would match 2001 levels, according to Regent documents.

“It’s a reasonable request,” Steinke said. “An extra $200 to $300 dollars a year is a lot of money for students and their families.”