Tornado Sirens
With the sounding of the tornado sirens, all students were safe in their tornado-drill location. This means that all students are in the cafeteria. Students and staff had practiced their safe hiding places a couple of times in the last couple of weeks so they were very prepared. Students have all returned back to classrooms.
Urgent Legislative Alert
Please read below and click the button below to take action! We need the help of EVERY member of our school community!
Greetings -
The Internal Revenue Service has proposed new regulations that would limit the federal deductibility of individual donations to School Tuition Organizations (STOs) in Iowa. Donors to the STO program currently receive a 65% state income tax credit and can deduct the entire amount of the donation on their Federal return. STOs use those donations to give out tuition grants to qualifying families, allowing them to afford tuition at an Iowa nonpublic school. Under this proposed IRS regulation, donors would only be able to deduct 35% of their donation on their Federal return. This proposed rule is a huge disincentive to STO donors. When donations to STOs go down, the ability of STOs to help families is drastically reduced.
Nearly 11,000 students from lower-income and working-class families receive financial assistance through the STO program each year. Nationwide, STOs serve more than 250,000 students in 18 states. If this regulation goes into effect, students served by STO programs will suffer.
We are asking that School Tuition Organizations be exempted from the IRS rule, as it will reduce donations to STOs, resulting in a shortage of funds available for tuition grants for lower-income and working-class families.
Help us voice our objection to this rule by sending a message to Senators Grassley and Ernst as well as your member of the U.S. House, asking them to assist us in this effort. We encourage you to personalize this message - share your perspective on STOs and all they do to provide a choice for Iowa parents and children. Please send this message soon!
Thank you for taking time to stand up for Iowa families - we appreciate your joining in our efforts.
Sincerely,
Iowa Advocates for Choice in Education