IISTO: Making Private Education More Affordable

The Iowa Independent School Tuition Organization, Inc. (IISTO) was formed in 2009 by 4 accredited, independent schools. Representatives from each school comprise the governing Board of Directors who are elected for 3 year terms. The day to day operations are handled by its sole employee and Administrator.

We all pay taxes to support our public schools and if you send your children to private school you pay for the both the school your child attends and for the public schools your child does not attend. The STO legislation was enacted as a way to level the playing field for private schools.

IISTO provides private education opportunities to lower income families and tax credits to donors. IISTO receives cash contributions from individual Iowa taxpayers and allocates those funds to our members schools who then award it as tuition assistance to eligible families.

Taxpayers who contribute to IISTO receive a tax credit certificate evidencing their contribution equal to 75 percent of the donation. The contribution is also eligible for a federal tax deduction. IISTO issues both a tax credit certificate and an IRS donation letter by the 1st of February.