One gubernatorial candidate made one claim the center of his campaign for governor: that Iowa’s private schools take ESA dollars with no real financial accountability attached. It’s a serious charge. It’s also one that doesn’t survive five minutes with the actual accreditation standards.
Iowa Nonpublic School Enrollment Surges in ESA Era
As the school year comes to a close and Iowa families consider their options for next fall, the latest certified enrollment numbers point to a remarkable trend: Iowa’s nonpublic schools are serving thousands more students than they were before Education Savings Accounts began.
Iowa ACE Gubernatorial Candidate Scorecard
The 2026 election is critical for Iowa school choice. We encourage you to study up on the candidates and vote in the primary! Iowa Advocates for Choice in Education has created the following candidate scorecard:
Education Savings Accounts – Applications for the 2025-26 school year open April 16
Families enrolling eligible children in an accredited Iowa nonpublic school will receive funding equal to the per-pupil allocation provided to public school districts for the same year.
The Truth About ESA Funding
In terms of the entire state budget, State Foundation School aid in FY 2025 represents 43.62%. ESAs represent 2.01%. In FY 2026 that would be instead 41.23% for State Foundation School Aid and 3.34% for ESAs. Funny how ESA critics never discuss those numbers.
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