After hours of negotiations, lawmakers and the governor this week reached an agreement over a $5 billion budget for the 2006 fiscal year that begins July 1. The final agreement is a compromise between the different spending plans approved earlier this year by the Senate and the House.

In order to work out the differences, lawmakers from both chambers met with the governor this week to find common ground on these issues. The result is a budget that funds Iowansí priorities without increasing taxes. I am disappointed that the cigarette user fee will not be increased as I truly believe that would have gone a long way in discouraging people from smoking. Although, the budget increases spending by $340 million, or 7.5 percent, over the current year, lawmakers will not raise taxes. Instead, an up tick in state revenues will help cover the additional funding.

Education I have always been very committed to keeping the high quality of Iowa schools in tact and I feel the budget that we have passed this year does just that. We owe so much to the men and women who invest their time and talents with our children and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you who work in our wonderful schools!

Much of the money we have allocated will go towards improving student achievement, increasing teacher salaries and holding the line on college tuition costs. The budget includes nearly $2 billion for K-12 schools during the 2005-2006 school year; a $100 million increase over the current year. In addition, lawmakers provided $29.3 million for an initiative to improve class sizes and reading scores; $20 million for early childhood education programs; and $69 million for teacher salaries, an increase of $24 million over the current year.

MINUTES
BETTENDORF PARK BOARD
April 13, 2005

The Bettendorf Park Board held a regular meeting on April 13, 2005 at City Hall in the Council Chambers at 7:00 pm.

Present: Kamp, Makoben, Beckman, Gackle, Glenn
Absent: None

MINUTES
BETTENDORF PARK BOARD
SPECIAL MEETING
April 12, 2005

The Bettendorf Park Board held a special meeting on April 12, 2005 at 4:00 pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

Present: Kamp, Makoben, Beckman, Gackle, Glenn
Absent: None

Unofficial Minutes of the May 16, 2005, Regular Meeting Of the Board of Education (Pending Board Approval)

The Board of Directors of the Bettendorf Community School District, in the County of Scott, state of Iowa, met in open session according to Iowa law for their regular Board meeting at Ray Stensvad Administration Center, 3311 Central Avenue, Bettendorf, Iowa, on May 16, 2005. President Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and the Board recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Nancy Herrin, Board Secretary, verified that the meeting notice had been posted and mailed to the media as required by law. Members present: Directors Anderson, Castro, Crockett, Ehrmann, Luton, Mayer, Weigle. Members absent: None. Other officials present: John Perdue, Superintendent; Carol Webb, Assistant Superintendent; Maxine McEnany, Director of Business & Financial Services; Bonnie Fisher, Thomas Jefferson Elementary School Principal; Kevin Hatfield, Neil Armstrong Elementary School Principal; Caroline Olson, Mark Twain Elementary School Principal; Julie Duffin, Paul Norton Elementary School Principal; Jimmy Casas, Bettendorf High School Principal; Linda Goff, Bettendorf Middle School Principal; Marcia Hartman, Director of Technology; Celeste Reuter, Director of Communications; Laura Kauffman, Teacher Representative; Erin Cavanaugh, Student Representative; Nancy Herrin, Board Secretary.

If anyone would have told me back in January that we would still be here on May 17, I would not have believed them! However, here we are and I thought I would bring you up to speed on what we have been doing.

Early Childhood Initiative Passes

House File 761, which establishes a Quality Rating System for childcare and creates tax incentives for both pre-school and childcare passed this week. The bill also establishes the statewide use of a Kindergarten readiness test. The bill outlines the DIBELS test as the recommended method; however there is some flexibility built in for districts who want to use an alternative test, as long as it is approved by the Iowa Department of Education.

Despite unseasonably cool weather, Bettendorf-Pleasant Valley youth baseball is in full swing. Below, Pony League teams square off at one of the Crow Creek Park diamonds.

http://www.bettendorf.com/newmedia/crowcreek_baseball05.jpg"

By unanimous vote after a meeting Monday night (5/9), the Bettendorf Board of Education named Marty Lucas the new administrative head of the district, pending contract negotiations.

ìMarty brings 17 years of experience as a superintendent of Iowa schools,î said Barry Anderson, President, Bettendorf Board of Education.

ìI believe he will not only meet the high expectations of the Board and community, but will also help the Bettendorf Community School District continue its path of excellence for the students of this District.î

Lucas is the superintendent of schools for the Charles City School District, Charles Iowa. He comes to Bettendorf with experience as a high school principal, assistant principal and athletic director, as well as superintendent experience in Plainfield, Hudson and Charles City.

He has been superintendent for Charles City schools since 1994. Lucas has a bachelor of science in physical education/health from the University of Northern Iowa.

He also has a masters of science in educational administration and a Superintendent Licensure: Certificate of Advanced Studies from Iowa State University. Directors plan on Lucas assuming the new post effective July.

Current Bettendorf Community School District superintendent, John S Perdue, Ed.D will leave at the end of the school year to lead a district in the Chicago suburbs. Perdue, who has been the top administrator in Bettendorf for five years and a district employee for 30, will be the superintendent of the kindergarten through eighth-grade district in Glen Ellyn.

Students at Jefferson Elementary School, Bettendorf, enjoy a jog or walk around Meier Park prior to class. The morning fitness walk/run encourages students (and their parents) to get in extra exercise prior to hitting the books each day.

The second benchmark of the 2005 legislative session has arrived and lawmakers have been busy attending committee meetings and debating legislation in an effort to keep bills alive beyond the second ìfunnelî deadline.

In order for a bill to be eligible for debate after the second funnel, it must be approved by the chamber where it originated as well as a committee in the opposite chamber. That means Senate files are required to have passed the Senate and a House committee by now in order to stay alive for the rest of the session. The funnel deadline does not apply to tax, leadership or appropriations bills.

Senate committees have taken up fewer bills this year due to the 25-25 split where control is shared equally between Republicans and Democrats.

Yet despite the slow pace, progress still has been made on a number of measures. Legislation approved by the Senate this year includes bills to crack down on Iowaís meth labs, improve the college readiness of high school students, establish a quality child care rating system, shrink the size of the stateís deer population and deregulate Iowaís large telephone companies. Lawmakers are also developing legislation to toughen Iowaís sex offender laws and spur new job and business growth across the state.

In the coming weeks, budget negotiations will continue as we try to find agreement on appropriations bills for the 2006 fiscal year. The Senate has approved only one of the nine budget bills that lawmakers must pass before the 2005 session adjourns.

While lawmakers generally agree on many areas of the budget, there are significant differences over funding levels for state employee salaries, education and health and human services. Right now, Democrats and Republicans are about $200 million apart in their spending proposals. Senator Hatch and I are millions of dollars apart in Health and Human Services.

A critical element in the budget negotiations is whether lawmakers will approve an increase in the cigarette tax, or ìuser feeî as I refer to it. Any potential hike would bring more revenue into the state treasury and lawmakers who are supportive of the measure, as I am, have a number of ideas on how they would like to spend the money. I am still advocating the dollars to go into the Senior Living Trust Fund to be used only for Medicaid or long term care. Others do not want to raise taxes on Iowans to increase spending. Lawmakers will have to make some decisions on the issue before our budget work is complete- the sooner, the better.

As we enter the last few weeks of the 2005 legislative session, senators will consider legislation that has made it past the second funnel in addition to budget bills and economic growth measures. As we work towards these goals, senators are committed to developing good public policy that focuses on the priorities of Iowans. I do believe that we will be able to agree on helping our seniors, children, families and the disabled with the budget.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Regular meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by President Debbie Dayman. Members present: Barsness, Dayman, Kaminski, Messman, OíHara and Schurr. Absent: Hoffmann. Also present: Jim Spelhaug, Cyndy Behrer, Mike Clingingsmith, Chris Harvey, Tim Bradley, Nicky Overstake, Colleen Powers, Ladonna Czachowski, Patty Herzberg, and others.