As the 91st Iowa General Assembly convenes for the 2026 Legislative Session beginning January 12, 2026, the Iowa Association of Christian Schools (IACS) is advancing a focused set of legislative priorities aimed at strengthening educational freedom and fairness for families and schools across our state. These priorities reflect IACS’s commitment to protecting parental choice, defending religious liberty, preserving the independence of private and faith-based schools, and promoting common-sense policies that put students first. Working alongside legislators and partners, IACS seeks to ensure that Iowa’s education laws continue to respect school autonomy, expand opportunity, and support high-quality learning environments for every child.
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)
- Enrollment Window: Open another ESA enrollment window in December.
- Testing Freedom: Parents should be able to use the nationally norm-referenced test their school already uses (such as MAP, FAST, or similar reputable assessments). Schools should not be forced to change tests.
Accreditation
- Protect the independence of accrediting agencies.
- Clarify in law that independent accreditors are not agents of the state and have full authority to determine which schools are accredited each year.
Preschool Access & Fairness
Some school districts are blocking qualified private and faith-based preschools from participating.
Preferred Solution: Parents (or schools) enroll directly and funds follow the child, not the district.
Alternative Solution: Require districts to include all qualified community-based preschools.
- Remove rules that improperly restrict faith-based preschools. Religious liberty has already been upheld by multiple U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
- Add flexibility to preschool age rules to prevent gaps in services.
- Compel the Department of Education to rescind unconstitutional guidance that violates religious liberty.
Teacher Training Requirements
- Create a rotating schedule for required trainings so teachers aren’t overloaded every year.
- Spread out new mandated trainings over a more reasonable implementation timeline.
Athletics
- Transfer Rules: Fix unfair rules that allow public schools to waive waiting periods but not private schools.
- Competition & Classification: Move toward a promotion and relegation system based on performance over time. Focus on school size + performance, not public vs. private, money, or demographics. This approach encourages fair competition and teaches perseverance and growth.
Student Tuition Organizations (STOs)
- Allow STO funds to be used for summer school and before and after school programs.
IACS remains committed to preserving our schools’ autonomy and freedoms by ensuring no new state control over curriculum, admissions, or operations, and that schools accepting taxpayer funds are not state agents. Schools should retain maximum freedom to meet students’ needs.
Stay tuned for important updates and advocacy alerts!