Reynolds drops part of plan to overhaul Iowa AEAs

DES MOINES — Governor Kim Reynolds has scaled back her proposal to overhaul Iowa’s Area Education Agencies.

Last week, Reynolds released a plan to focus AEAs solely on special education for children with disabilities. In a news release, Reynolds announced that “based on feedback from parents, legislators, school superintendents, and teachers,” she is dropping the idea of ending the AEA’s general education services that focus on things like literacy, math and science for all students.

The AEA’s digital resources and lending library for schools were to be closed down in the governor’s original plan, but Reynolds is proposing now that AEA “media services” continue, if schools are asking for those services.