Iowa promised $75 million for school safety. Two shootings later, the money is largely unspent

By RYAN J. FOLEY
Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Republican governor announced in June 2022 that the state would use $75 million in federal pandemic relief funds to add security measures at schools. But more than 19 months and two deadly Iowa school shootings later, most of the money has not been spent. The Iowa school safety improvement fund aims to harden 1,500 schools by giving each up to $50,000. So far, $20.6 million of the $75 million has been promised to qualifying schools. Very little has been paid out. A state official last week helped the school district in Perry finish its application for three buildings. Two weeks earlier, a 17-year-old fatally shot a sixth grader and a principal.