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Senate panel OKs bill that would add fine arts to Iowa Core

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March 2nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Senate panel has approved a bill that would add fine arts to Iowa’s mandated education curriculum for K-12 students, though lawmakers expressed concern about its potential costs. An education subcommittee approved the bill Monday. It now heads to a full committee, where it would need approval by Friday to survive a procedural legislative deadline.

The bill would add music, theater, visual art and other fine arts to the Iowa Core, the state’s mandated academic standards. Sen. Herman Quirmbach, who sponsored the bill, says it would properly recognize fine arts. He questioned an analysis by the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency, which determined it could cost a school district up to $100,000 to implement the bill.

Lawmakers say they need more financial analysis to pass the bill out of committee.