Semantics: opt-out vs. instructional support levy
“Opt-out” is not a particularly descriptive term for raising property taxes for a local school district.
When I write it, I usually say a school board is opting out of the property tax freeze, which is more descriptive but doesn’t explain the whole history of the thing.
If Senate Bill 99 becomes law, I suppose I’ll have to start writing something like “instructional support levy, which used to be called an opt-out.”
That’s all the bill would do: change the wording for how state statute describes raising taxes for schools.
Instructional support levy is what Iowa calls its opt-outs.
I suppose the new wording could win a few more votes for schools. An on-the-fence voter might be more inclined to support something than opt out of something else.
