Friday Board Bulletin 3/31/2023

Posted Date: 03/31/2023

Board Members:

On Monday, Ann had her second bone marrow biopsy and the results showed the initial round of chemo was effective. She will need to be in the hospital for at least another week to week and a half in order for her immune system to strengthen. We'll have another biopsy on day 28, which will help determine the treatment course going forward. We no doubt have a long road ahead of us but this was good news. I worked most of the week, albeit largely remote. In case you were wondering, I was in the district Tuesday, Thursday, and today. 

Today marks the second funnel in the legislative session. To remind you, this means that in order for a bill to remain alive, it must have passed through a committee in the opposing chamber of origination. Again, this is designed as a tool to focus the work of legislators and put them on a path to adjournment. Many bills that were previously considered 'dead' can be reintroduced through an amendment so nothing is truly settled until the final gavel. There is a lot to pay attention to, but we continue to closely monitor SF 496 – Governor’s Transparency bill – This has a lot of the transparency items such as library books and instructional materials. It also defines what can be taught at different grade levels in reference to sexual activity or gender identity. It requires parental notification for surveys and exams. It also requires a civics test for graduation and many other mandates. The House Education Committee passed this bill out to the floor, but not before listing out a very lengthy and extensive amendment that will come to the floor. The amendment was 38 pages long, more than double the length of the bill and included language from numerous bills that we considered dead, including HF 608 – Seizure training, HF 429 – Intra-district transfers, and HF 255 – Alternative Licensure. At this point, we have no idea what will happen if/when this bill goes back to the Senate, but this is another example of some of the things that can happen in the Legislature that can throw a wrench into the process, both good and bad.

Earlier in the week I forwarded you a document titled 'Official Statement' (attached again here). Please take a few minutes to review this and offer any comments. We are going through a process right now with legal counsel and financial advisors to ensure we are accurately stating our position. Board input is part of this procedure. Likewise, if you haven't had a chance to start reviewing the April board material, I might suggest taking a peak. We'll have a lot of moving parts in April! All good stuff, but important for you to be up to speed.

That's all for now. I'm planning to head back to Iowa City soon in an effort to beat the weather. Stay safe and have a good weekend!

Dr. Tony Voss