Iowa – Schools Get More Flexibility After U.S. Education Department Approves Federal Funding Waiver

Iowa schools could see fewer federal paperwork hurdles and more flexibility in how certain federal education dollars are used after the U.S. Department of Education approved a first-of-its-kind waiver for the state.

The U.S. Education Department said Wednesday it approved Iowa’s “Returning Education to the States Waiver,” allowing state education officials to combine four federal funding streams into one pot and steer spending toward state priorities such as student achievement and teacher support.

Federal officials and Iowa leaders said the added flexibility is expected to reduce compliance costs, with nearly $8 million projected to be redirected from administrative work to classrooms over the next four years. Iowa leaders said those dollars and the streamlined approach could expand evidence-based literacy training, strengthen the teacher pipeline, and target achievement gaps.

Alongside the waiver, the department approved Iowa for Ed-Flex authority, which allows the state to grant districts waivers from certain federal requirements without submitting individual requests to Washington first.

For families, the immediate change is mostly behind the scenes: districts may spend less time on grant compliance and may see state-led initiatives ramp up around literacy training and staffing supports. At the same time, the waiver does not remake all federal K-12 funding; major program structures, including Title I for low-income students, remain in place.

State and federal officials said they will also work on streamlining reporting requirements next. Parents can watch for district updates and guidance from the Iowa Department of Education as the changes roll out.

This article was produced by a education parenting today journalist with the assistance of AI This is not legal advice. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.