DES MOINES — Lawmakers are optimistic they will be able to send a scaled-back version of Gov. Terry Branstad’s proposed education reform package to his desk before adjourning later this month.

The Republican-controlled House passed a sweeping education reform package in February that would require more student testing and seeks expansion of charter schools. It also keeps in place a third-grade retention program that survived a paring-down process by the governor to recognize the financial and political realities of a major overhaul affecting students, teachers, administrators, parents, interest groups and public institutions.

The House also rejected key components in Branstad’s reform recommendations by eliminating a requirement that prospective teachers have and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, and placing new restrictions on who can take online classes before sending the Iowa Senate one of the session’s must-do priorities for further consideration.

Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, who will be floor manager of the education reform bill, said there’s broad support for competency-based education and for expanding the topics covered by the core curriculum.

He also said there’s strong support for early-grade reading and getting students help early but he noted “some controversy over retention decisions” that would end social promotion for kids struggling to read after finishing third grade.

Quirmbach also noted “a lot of heartburn” over two Iowa school districts’ announced plans to open online academies this fall.

Clayton Ridge Community School District and CAM Community School District contracted with private online education providers under current state law. Students from across the state could enroll in the academies and have their lessons delivered over the Internet. The private companies receive the students’ state aid as payment, less an administrative fee of 3 percent or 3.5 percent that goes to the host district.

Quirmbach expressed concern that virtual academies in Colorado have been marred by high dropout rates and low achievement levels. “That’s not a direction we want to go,” he said.

A major obstacle to agreement will be financing, Schoenjahn noted, saying Senate Democrats won’t accept House Republican plans to shift money from existing class-size reduction and other programs to cover the $17 million or more price tag needed to implement the new reforms.

“Taking money from existing programs to finance reform is probably not the direction that we are interested in,” he said.

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