BURNSIDE - As governor, Terry Branstad would encourage replication of the Iowa Central Charter High School throughout Iowa.

Branstad, who is seeking the Republican nod for Iowa's top job, visited Southeast Webster-Grand Junior and Senior High School in Burnside Monday, part of a regional campaign swing that also included stops in Jefferson and Rockwell City.

Established in 2004, the charter high school is a partnership between the Southeast Webster-Grand school district and Iowa Central Community College that allows high school students to take Iowa Central courses at no cost.

Southeast Webster-Grand Superintendent Mike Jorgensen touted improvements in his district since the debut of the charter high school.

According to Jorgensen, 89 percent of district students now go on to post-secondary education - up from approximately 60 percent earlier in the decade.

"What you've done here is very innovative," said Branstad, who met with administrators from Southeast Webster-Grand and Iowa Central. "What I don't understand is that if something is successful, why aren't we copying it throughout the state?"

Branstad pledged to seek both reduced costs and increased student achievement in the Iowa education system during a 45-minute question and answer session, during which he addressed teachers, students and members of the public.

He said he opposed setting minimum student populations for school districts.

"As long as you can provide quality, innovative programs, we should not mandate size," he said.

The former governor, who is seeking a fifth term, used the venue to pitch new fiscal policies that would, in his words, end bad budget practices.

Branstad's proposal calls for the state to stop passing new budgets every year in favor of a two-year budget.

Such a system, according to Branstad, would allow the General Assembly to pass a budget during the first year of a session, while using the second year to focus on policy development.

Branstad also proposed developing five-year financial plans for the state, which would provide a better tracking mechanism for state spending.

"Bad" practices such as using one-time money for ongoing expenses, implementing new spending programs midyear and diverting funds for a specific objective to other purposes would be curtailed under a Branstad regime, he said.

Branstad said he would set a goal to create 200,000 new jobs as governor.

"We want you to be able to get a good job in the state of Iowa," Branstad told the assembled students.

Following prepared remarks, Branstad fielded questions from the audience.

Branstad said he believed the statewide smoking ban that went into effect in 2008 has worked to dramatically reduce the use of tobacco in the state.

He called exceptions for casinos unfair.

"If I had my druthers, everybody would have the same restrictions," he said.

Health care reform, said Branstad, should focus on encouraging people to "take ownership" of their own health through such means as nutritional practices and avoiding tobacco - and not on a government takeover of the system, he said.

"We should reward people for doing the right things," Branstad said. "Insurance should be less for people who don't smoke."

Monday's campaign stop came after the Branstad campaign contacted the district to learn more about the charter high school, Jorgensen said.

Jorgensen said he would welcome similar stops by anyone seeking - or occupying - the governorship.

"Students need to be interested in politics," he said. "The more exposure we can give students to the political world, the better."

Jorgensen said that, to his knowledge, there were no objections by parents to using class time for a campaign appearance.

"Obviously if they had, they could have withheld their students," he said.

Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net