A major education initiative favored by Gov. Kim Reynolds and majority Republican legislators — expanding school choices for Iowa parents and students — will be considered by an education subcommittee next week, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported. The 65-page bill released Wednesday, SSB 1065, proposes three elements of school choice that Reynolds highlighted in her Condition of the State address earlier this month. Reynolds’ bill would establish state funding for students in struggling public schools who wish to attend a private school, create a charter school program, and allow students to transfer out of schools with a voluntary or court-ordered diversity plan. “This legislation will help every child receive a quality education, regardless of income, and no matter their ZIP code. It has the potential to raise the quality for all schools, public and private,” Reynolds said in a statement. The Iowa Association of School Boards’ stance on school choice is that Iowa law already provides sufficient choice for students and families, and that “additional investments in tax credits for nonpublic tuition or other options are not necessary to provide educational choice,” according to its 2021 legislative platform. The Senate Education Subcommittee is scheduled to take up the bill on Jan. 25 at 10:30 a.m. The Taxpayers Association of Central Iowa has scheduled an analysis and discussion of the legislation at its next virtual TACI Town Hall on Jan. 27. Those interested in participating should email Admin@TaxpayersCI.org.