DES MOINES — State legislators battling a bill that Senate Republicans believe weakens the power of school boards have bought themselves some extra time.

The Democrat-supported bill is the first expansion of the state’s collective bargaining law governing public-sector workers since 1974. The bill, which could have been decided on Friday, is now set for debate Monday. It would expand a list of issues that are subject to bargaining, for example letting teachers raise matters like class size and others address discipline rules.

“It was an emotional issue; we had a lively debate,” said state Rep. Kurt Swaim, D-Bloomfield. “OK, lively debate may be an understatement.”

Republicans against the measure forced a marathon debate in the House, which approved it on a party-line vote. Democrats said they were confident the bill would pass in the Senate and head to Gov. Chet Culver.

“My whole problem is how they went about doing it. They slipped it in with another [larger bargaining] bill,” said Davis County school board member Rita Grob. “We weren’t informed until Thursday, so we weren’t even able to contact our representatives until after the House already passed it.”

She said she’s disappointed in the Democrats who support a bill she feels could make the job of local school boards more difficult.

“... and I’m a lifetime Democrat. A lifetime Democrat and an advocate of teachers.”

Grob said she has already fired off e-mails to several local lawmakers.

Carol Mitchell, president of the Ottumwa school board, said she planned on contacting her representatives to express her concerns.

“I would preface it this way: I don’t think we have enough information to see how it will impact our students in the classroom,” she said.

But when people in power start knocking the volunteers who serve on boards, she feels it.

“I’m a little disappointed in what the Democrat from Des Moines had to say,” Mitchell said, referring to a comment from Rep. Rick Olson, D-Des Moines.

A media source quoted Olson as saying “Many folks that are elected to school boards know little about curriculum [or] class size.”

Grob had seen the quote, too.

“Just because we’re not a ‘representative’ doesn’t mean we can’t add and subtract,” she said. “Representatives, unless they’re teachers, wouldn’t know more about education.”