Northwest AEA continues to lose more staff due to AEA reform bill

LE MARS, Iowa (KTIV) - The Northwest Area Education Agency continues to lose staff to comply with a bill passed earlier this year by the Iowa legislature, and signed by Governor Kim Reynolds, to overhaul AEAs, statewide.

During Monday’s Northwest AEA board meeting, two staff members within the Creative Service department were let go because of workforce reductions due to House File 2612.

Under the new law, school districts, not the AEAs, will eventually control 100% of funds for professional learning and media services, with local districts also gaining another 10% share of special education funds.

The Northwest AEA board also voted to unanimously accept the retirement of one employee, and the resignations of four other employees.

Northwest AEA’s chief administrator says they have lost 12% to 13% of their staff.

“Sad, frustrated, and other feelings along those lines, because they are great people who provided great services to families, to schools, to teachers and to kids across northwest Iowa and I hate to see them go. Yet I understand the realities of the change and the way it impacts different employees’ family situations and they have to make a decision that is right for them,” said Dan Cox, Chief Administrator with Northwest AEA.

School districts will get 60% of general education and media services funding in the next school year. Then, in 2025, districts will have full control of those funds.

Also, in the fall of 2025, all Iowa school districts will get 10% of funding for special education. AEAs will be guaranteed to get the other 90%