In 2011, Gov. Terry Branstad made the importance of education crystal clear when outlining his plan for transforming Iowa’s education system.

“Young people today must meet higher expectations than ever to succeed in this global economy,” Branstad said. “For the future of our children and our state, we must transform our good schools into world-class schools.”

But actions speak louder than words, and the stroke of his veto pen reverberated in the ears of Iowa’s students, parents and educators like the blast from a 12-gauge in a cathedral.

The governor vetoed the painfully negotiated, one-time funding for Iowa’s regent universities, community colleges and K-12 schools. The veto cut almost $56 million from the bottom line of Iowa schools.

Branstad said using one-time revenue for ongoing expenses is “bad budgeting practice” and instructed legislators to pass a two-year education funding bill to avoid “another fight next year over the same issue.” 

“I’ve been crystal clear about using one-time money for ongoing expenses from the day that I came back as governor,” Branstad said in defense of his veto.

Mission accomplished Governor.

Another fight over education spending next year was imminent regardless of the veto, but the need to make his point clearly outweighed the needs of Iowa’s students and the hard-fought compromise in the legislature.

Students and parents should also know who to blame when tuition rises at public universities and community colleges next spring.

The “one-time” funding included $6.3 million in additional funding to Iowa’s three regent universities. Iowa State was set to receive about $2.3 million to offset the cost of a third consecutive tuition freeze.

A tuition freeze for spring 2016 was already in jeopardy because the legislature failed to follow the Board of Regents funding recommendations. Without the one-time funding a tuition increase is all but assured.

“The governor’s vetoes are especially egregious in light of the fact that the legislature worked in a bipartisan fashion to avoid using one-time money to fund ongoing needs and the legislature’s overall spending level was actually below the governor’s,” said Sen. Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs.

Branstad is correct, we must prepare out students for the global economy, but there is no chance to turn Iowa’s good schools into world-class schools when the “education” governor vetoes the funding needed in order to prevent schools from laying off teachers and overcrowding classrooms. 

Only time will tell how loudly the governor’s actions resonate with the public.

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Branstad and Reynolds’ entire vision for the remodel of Iowa’s education system can be viewed here.