The Iowa City School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the Legislative Committee’s three priority recommendations to be submitted to the Iowa Association of School Boards.

These recommendations for the 2013-14 year include funding to ensure all 3- and 4-year-olds are allowed a high-quality public preschool program, support a rate for allowable growth that advances continuos school improvement and reflects actual cost increases, and support extended flexibility and use of the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy.

Of the three recommendations, Ann Feldmann, the assistant superintendent of the School District, said the most important is that of allowable growth.

“Allowable growth is critical to our budget,” she said.

The Iowa Legislature approved 0 percent allowable growth for the fiscal 2012, setting schools spending limits to that of the previous year.

“We always want to be working on that,” said Board President Patti Fields, about the allowable growth recommendation.

Superintendent Steve Murley and board members Sarah Swisher, Toni Cilek, and Michael Shaw did not attend the meeting.

— by Brittany Trevick