DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law three weeks ago reforming area education agencies in the state. Now, the state's nine AEAs are left to are navigate the impacts.
Spencer Hackler has spent the last three years at Keystone Area Education Agency as a school psychologist, moving to the area from out of state for that specific role.
"The AEA system and how we approach special education is the only one like in the country," Hackler told Local 5.
Now, Hackler will be moving once again, this time out of Iowa, in search of a more stable workplace. Many other AEA employees are in the same boat.
"I didn't want to leave the people I'm working with, I didn't want to leave the schools I was working with, but that's not an option any longer," he said.
Under the newly-signed AEA law, Iowa school districts will now have complete control over how they want to use certain funds that are currently reserved for AEAs. As a result, the organizations will be forced to reevaluate their budgets, and staff cuts are inevitable.
"Over the next two years, for Heartland AEA, we're looking at a budget reduction that's in the multiple millions," said Cindy Yelick, chief administrator of Heartland.
Yelick says 80% of their finances are put towards support staff, but that model will soon change.
"We're going to have to make some changes in staffing ... We're having that conversation about every single position, and there are positions that we are not going to fill in response to budget," Yelick told Local 5.
As of Wednesday, at least 70 Heartland employees have decided to leave once their contracts expire this summer. Some are option for early retirement, while others are considering other work opportunities outside of Iowa, according to Yelick.
"Some have said they see this as defunding of K-12 education across the state, and they've looked for positions in other states where they feel like there's a higher value placed on education," she said.
A spokesperson for Central Rivers AEA said they are also experiencing high staff turnover; so far, 69 staff members have announced their departure.