Shame On Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds: “The State Owns Your Children!”

Iowa’s Governor Kim Reynolds used to be one of the most reliable, Republican Governors in the Union.

And then, something happened….

I’m not saying there was a cause and effect here, but she endorsed Ron DeSantis, became anti-Trump, and she’s never really been the same sense.

The latest?

An absolutely DISGUSTING new Bill passed into Law this year absolutely destroying parent’s rights in Iowa.

Allow me to explain….

I’ll give you the super short summary first and then follow it up with all the details.

Basically, Iowa has now passed a new law deeming a student to be “truant” if they miss more than 9 days a semester!

Think about that for a second…

Say you go on a family trip for one week, which happens a LOT!

Maybe you don’t want to pay Spring Break prices, maybe you can’t afford Spring Break prices or Winter Break prices, so you take a family trip and take your 5th grader and 1st grader out of school for a week.  There’s 5 days.  Then imagine that at various times from August through December they’re home sick 4 days.

Boom, there’s your 9 days.

You’re in violation of the state!

Both the student AND the parents!

And the penalty?

Criminal enforcement by the County Attorney!

I’m not making any of this up, I’ll give you the full details below.

Missing 9 days is a ‘Tier 1″ offense and the penalties only go up from there.

Oh, and did I mention how an “absence” is calculated?

• When a student is absent for 120 minutes per day, but less than 240 minutes per day, they will be considered absent for half a day.
• When a student is absent for 240 or more minutes per day, they will be considered absent for an entire day.

Also, according to one FAQ, family funerals are NOT exempt — you will rack up an “absent” day if you dare attend Grandpa’s funeral:

8. Are family funerals an excused absence?

Per Iowa Code and Iowa Department of Education guidance, attending funerals is not exempt. Our District will track these absences as required by the state and they will count toward chronic absenteeism. However, the absence will be excused by the school, and we will not impose any additional school-based consequences.

It just get’s worse and worse the more you look into it.

Before I give you all the detailed information, allow me to comment on why this is such a massive red flag….

Because I can already hear someone in the comments saying: “But Noah, don’t you WANT kids to be incentivized to attend school?  Isn’t that a good thing?”

Actually?  No, ever since schools have become nothing more that “indoctrination camps” stripping creativity and creative thinking out of kids, teaching them only to memorize and regurgitate random, unhelpful facts (“the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell!”), re-working math so that even parents can’t follow the goofy way it’s taught these days, and spending more time indoctrinating LGBT propaganda than actually teaching anything, no…I’m not overly excited about making sure my kids get maximum exposure to that crap.

But let’s just say for argument’s sake you have a good school teaching good things.

Ok great!

But there’s still one MAJOR FLAW with this legislation….parents are not parents of their children only from 3:30pm to 8:30am the next morning.

Parents are parents of their children 100% of the time, and if that parent so chooses to send their child to a public school, that child is on LOAN at the full discretion of the parent, which can and must be able to be revoked at any time!

This law literally tells you that you, the parent and legal guardian, are actually NOT the legal guardian of your child during school hours for 5 days a week!!

Wanna know what the math works out to be on that?  That’s over 20% of the week that you are not really in legal control of your children — the STATE is!  Subtract out 8 hours a day for sleeping and it jumps to 31% of the time your children are awake, they are in the legal custody of the STATE!

I’m sorry, but FUCK THAT!  (Sorry Franklin)

Seriously though, I use that language very intentionally.

We have become so pacified as a nation that we don’t even think about stuff like this anymore!

The State has quietly took control of your children, and they will punish you CRIMINALLY if you disobey, and we’re just supposed to go along with it?

HELL NO!

Folks, sound the alarm, this is a RED ALERT situation! 🚨🚨🚨

Time to wake up America!

Wake up parents!

I saw this coming over the last 5 years.  I wonder if you noticed it too where you live?

About 5 years ago, if you ever had to take you child out of school, you had to fill out a form and the last question on the form was: REASON FOR ABSENCE: __________.

I’m sorry, say what now?

I have to give you a reason why I’m reclaiming my legal guardianship of my child during school hours?

How about my reason is FUCK YOU?  That’s my reason!

I’m the parent, that’s my reason!

I’m the parent at 10am on Tuesday morning just as much as I am at 6:30pm on Saturday night.

If I want to take my child out of school and go home and watch the Price Is Right with them, I guarantee you that will make more of an impact in that child’s life than another soulless day in public school, that’s my reason!

Parents, wake up!

You don’t owe the school (which is the STATE!) anything!

This is completely twisted around (gee, who always twists the truth to be 180 degrees from what it should be?  Oh right, that would be Satan).

This is ENTIRELY twisted 180 degrees wrong….

I don’t have to justify to the STATE when and for how long I am going to be with my children.  The STATE needs to continually justify to ME why I should trust them to operate public schools!

Until we all wake up from our slumber and start pushing back on this, they’re just going to keep slowly boiling the frog alive, until that 31% jumps to 100%.

“Oh don’t be so dramatic Noah, that will never happen!”

Really?

You do see the next steps in this, right?

As this law was passed, many statements were made by school districts all over Iowa like this: “Don’t worry, we will work with you!  We understand life happens.  It will all be ok.  The State can’t take your children SOLELY for truancy, there has to be some other violation of the law also occurring for that to happen.  So don’t worry!”

And you know what?

I’m sure it will be….for a year or two.

They won’t ramp things up until all the backlash has died down and people forget about it.

But the law will remain on the books.

And then do you know what will gradually happen?

Gradually, they’ll start to use it.

And it will go like this….

“Hello, Mr. Smith, this is District Attorney Johnson.  Say, I notice your child has been truant under our new law both this semester and last semester.  I know you took a family trip, and then had two family funerals, and I know cold and flu season was terrible this year, so you had 4 sick days, but look pal, I don’t write the laws I just enforce them.  Oh, and we went ahead and took a look at your social media profiles, and I see here that you have been a big Trump supporter.  Gotta tell you, that’s another big red flag.  Those people are violent and dangerous!  Haven’t you ever heard of January 6th?  Oh boy, I also see here that you made a $50 donation to Donald Trump’s campaign?  You do know he’s a racist, right?  That is unacceptable.  Yeah, I’m looking at all the evidence here and I think what we have is a clear pattern of behaviour that has created an UNSAFE living environment for your 3rd grader.  We’re just gonna swing by the house later on and pick that 3rd grader up and get him into some foster family protection so they can have a more stable environment.  It will only be temporary, just the next 6 months and we’ll just see how it goes.  Oh, and I also see here that you’re in criminal violation as the legal guardian of this child for truancy, so during those six months you’ll also be in jail.”

I’m telling you folks, that is NOT an unlikely future if we don’t get this under control right now.

It’s not hypothetical, either.

It’s actually happened…in California and at the hands of Kamala Harris no less!

🔥🚨BREAKING: This Black woman who was arresting by Kamala Harris shared heartbreaking footage exposing how Kamala Harris's policy as California Attorney General to arrest parents for “truancy” destroyed their lives and the lives of many other single minority women as well.… pic.twitter.com/zNS9eLF4Rq

— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) September 18, 2024

Iowa, is this really the model you want to follow?

Really?

Kim?  What the Hell happened to you?

What in the world possessed you to sign this into law?  (wait, asked and answered)

Local KTIV had more details on the new law:

How many days of school has your student missed so far this school year?

There is a new chronic absenteeism law in Iowa and it requires all school districts to identify students who have missed 10% of a grading period.

“They are in a panic on how they’re going to manage it,” said Associate Superintendent of Sioux City Community School District, Angela Bemus.

Chronic absenteeism is when a student misses a large percentage of school days.

This new policy is not only strict on the student, but school districts say it is also strict for the family.

There are new thresholds. For example at Sioux City Community Schools 10% equates to only being allowed to miss 9 days of school, 15% equates to 13 days, and 20% equates to 20 days per semester.

There is no longer a distinction between excused and unexcused absences. Everything counts.

As a courtesy, Sioux City Community Schools added an earlier notice at four days when a student is halfway through their allotted missed days trying to stop students from becoming chronically absent.

Breaking down the new policy

If a student misses 10% of school in a semester, the district is required to report it to the county attorney and families are notified.

If a student reaches the 15% threshold, the district is required to create an action plan to prevent any further absences and meet with the student and family weekly.

Sioux City Community Schools adds up missed blocks and periods throughout a school day which will be calculated in the percentage.

Bemus explains when a student hits 20 days of missing school, “which is 20% attendance, 20% of missing school in a grading period, they’re considered truant by law, and then there will be a notice to the county attorney, and the county attorney will issue a compulsory attendance.”

“Our office will review for charges and if approved for charges, meaning the parent violates the law, a warrant would be issued for the parent’s arrest. This process is no different than any other case sent to our office for review of charges. If approved, a warrant is issued for that person’s arrest,” said Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis.

We asked Bemus what the leading cause for a student to miss school in this district

“Sometimes it’s a lower level type of illness, like a stomach ache or a headache, But according to the new law, all absences, unless it is a college visit or it’s a student activity or they’re medically exempt, is considered unexcused, and that will go towards that compulsory attendance law,” explained Bemus.

Concerns regarding the policy

James Sturgeon is a concerned parent and says it’s a strict policy to follow.

“I think it’s completely ridiculous. If your child is sick, your child is sick,” said Sturgeon.

Sturgeon first heard of the policy via email after the school year had already started.

The New Chronic Absenteeism Law went into effect at the start of the 2024-25 school year….
The New Chronic Absenteeism Law went into effect at the start of the 2024-25 school year. Students walking into school on the first day back in August are being held to a new standard per the Iowa Education Department.(KTIV)

He is worried about the germs often spread at school to students and staff.

Bemus explained there is no wiggle room when it comes to certain illnesses.

“Unless you are medically exempt, which is very few and far between. We only have about two or three of those a year,” said Bemus. “There is a real high threshold according to the state of what ‘medical exemption’ means.”

The state’s exemptions for the absenteeism policy

There are six exemption rules within this policy:

Completed requirements for graduation or obtained a high school equivalency diploma.
Excused for sufficient reason by any court of record or judge.
Attending religious services or receiving religious instructions.
Unable to attend school due a legitimate medical reason(s).
Individualized Education Program (IEP) that affects attendance.

Sturgeon stated his worries about illnesses as that is a leading cause to many students being out of school.

“There are so many students in these schools jammed together, they don’t have enough janitorial to do any cleaning. The teachers don’t have the time to do any cleaning, so you have all these kids in school, and it’s just a big sickness,” said Sturgeon. “I believe leave parenting to the parents. I’m sure the reason they did that is that there are students out there who are abusing the policy the absentee policy. you need to go after those students and punish those students. Don’t round up everybody in the same category.”

The goal for Iowa school districts is to have 95% attendance rates.

The Sergeant Bluff-Luton Community Schools district put out this Guidance and FAQ:

The purpose of this notice is to inform you about a significant change in Iowa’s education law that directly affects our students and families. The 2024 Iowa Legislature passed Senate File 2435, a new attendance law addressing chronic absenteeism. These changes define the tiers of chronic absenteeism and the district’s requirements for addressing these cases. It’s crucial that all parents and guardians understand its implications.

New Attendance Law Overview

Important Definitions from Senate File 2435

To help you better understand the new law, here are key definitions as outlined in SF 2435:

Chronic Absenteeism: The absence of a student from school for ten percent or more of the days that school is in session during a school year. This includes both excused and unexcused absences.
Truancy: The failure of a child to attend school for at least 142 days per school year without reasonable excuse for the absence (142 = 80% of 178 school days).
Grading Period: A period of time during a school year that is designated by a school district or accredited nonpublic school as a grading period. At Sergeant Bluff-Luton CSD, the grading periods are Semesters.
New attendance Tiers:

Tier 1

The student has been absent for 10% of instructional time. (9 days first semester, 9 days second semester)
Chronic absenteeism initial threshold met.
The district will mail a certified letter to parents.
The district will send a letter to the county attorney.

Tier 2

The student has been absent 15% of instructional time. (13.5 days first semester, 13.5 days second semester)
Law requires students and parents/guardians attend a school engagement meeting with school officials at which an absenteeism plan is developed.

Tier 3

The student has been absent 20% of instructional time. (18 days first semester, 18 days second semester)
The student is considered truant.
The county attorney determines any legal ramifications.
How Absences are calculated

When a student is absent for 120 minutes per day, but less than 240 minutes per day, they will be considered absent for half a day.
When a student is absent for 240 or more minutes per day, they will be considered absent for an entire day.
Impact of Attendance on Student Achievement

Regular school attendance is crucial for student success. Research consistently shows that:

Students who attend school regularly are more likely to read at grade level and meet academic standards.
Consistent presence allows for continuous learning and skill-building.

Chronic absenteeism in early grades can leave students unable to read proficiently by third grade, a key predictor of high school dropout rates.

Students with high attendance rates are more likely to graduate from high school and have better chances of college and career success.

Consistent attendance in K-12 is linked to better life outcomes overall.

Even missing just two days a month can add up to a significant amount of lost instructional time over the school year.

Our Commitment and Your Role

Our goal is to support every student’s success. Part of a student’s success is attendance at school. We need your partnership in this effort. Here’s how you can help:

Ensure your child attends school every day unless they are truly sick.

Schedule appointments and travel during non-school hours when possible.

Talk to your child about the importance of school attendance.

Reach out to us if you’re facing difficulties getting your child to school. We’re here to help!

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. By working together, we can ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed and thrive in their education.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s school or the district office.

You can find full guidance from the Iowa Department of Education here: https://educate.iowa.gov/media/10294/download?inline

And you can read the law here:
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=90&ba=sf2435

Wake up Iowa!

Wake up America!

Wake up Parents!

Before it’s too late….

I don’t care what unjust laws are passed, never forget this: YOU are in charge of your kids, not the State.  God placed YOU, the parent, sovereignly in charge of raising your children.  And until you do something to violate that role, it is your duty and privilege to be in charge of your children 100% of the time, to raise them and guide them and grow them into healthy adults, not the State.

Never forget that.

It’s time to fight back (peacefully and patriotically, of course).