“Schools Like Ours Would Get Left Behind.” New Ad Warns of Threats to Small Town Public Schools if Zach Lahn is Elected

Belle Plaine Resident: “This is supposed to be Zach Lahn’s school district. I’ve been here 25 years, I’ve never run into him. I think he lives in Kansas.”

DES MOINES, IA – The Rob Sand campaign is on air with a new ad highlighting the threats Zach Lahn poses to Iowa public schools, specifically those in small towns and rural communities, should he be elected this fall. Titled “Heart,” the 30-second ad features Tim, a 25-year Belle Plaine resident who warns about Lahn’s support for private schools over public schools, his opposition to accountability into the school voucher program and desire to expand the program, and Lahn’s frequent travels to Kansas. 

WATCH:

“While Iowa’s rural public schools are already struggling, Zach Lahn would only make things worse, with less accountability over school vouchers and more handouts to the wealthiest Iowans at the expense of Iowa’s small and rural schools,” said Rob Sand Deputy Campaign Manager Emma O’Brien. “Zach Lahn’s legacy is being a career political operative and starting a failed private school that turns away students with disabilities and underpays its teachers. He wants to bring his failures from Kansas to Iowa and make taxpayers foot the bill. Iowans want accountability over their tax dollars and want strong public schools, not whatever scam Lahn is trying to sell.” 

New reporting from the Kansas Reflector revealed Zach Lahn remains president of the Wonder School, a private, unaccredited private school in Wichita, Kansas that is millions of dollars in debt, does not accept students with disabilities, and underpays its staff. Lahn does not support accountability for the private school voucher system, and has called for an expansion of the program to include vouchers for homeschooled students.

Watch the ad here, or view a full transcript below: 

Tim: Public school. It’s the center of our community. The one place you’ll see almost everybody in town. 

This is supposed to be Zach Lahn’s school district. I’ve been here 25 years. I’ve never run into him. 

I think he lives in Kansas. 

But he appears to support private schools over public schools. He doesn’t want accountability for private school vouchers. 

There’s got to be standards and accountability for tax dollars. Otherwise, schools like ours would get left behind. 

Zach Lahn can fly home to Kansas. Our kids will pay the price.