Opinion ID: 1599593
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Child Support Issue.

Text: We review the district court's modification of Richard's child support in two respects. We first must determine whether the record reflects a sufficient change of circumstances to warrant any modification of the original support decree. If so, we must then determine whether, as Richard contends, it was unwarranted to require him to pay a portion of Janelle's tuition expenses at a private school. We have previously determined that, in determining whether a change of circumstances has occurred, the district court should not consider the child support guidelines. In re Marriage of Dawson, 467 N.W.2d 271, 274 (Iowa 1991); In re Marriage of Bergfeld, 465 N.W.2d 865, 870 (Iowa 1991). If a change in circumstances is established for reasons other than the child support guidelines, the court must consider the guidelines in making any change in the level of support. Dawson, 467 N.W.2d at 274. We conclude that the present modification of support was not based on the guidelines but rather on changes in the parties' respective financial situations. That evidence is sufficient, albeit minimally so, to establish the requisite change of circumstances. If our statements in Dawson concerning the child support guidelines are to be adhered to, however, Richard's support level should have been increased to correspond with the guideline level. Based on the income levels that the record reflects, this would require a monthly payment of $384 rather than the $250 amount specified in the original decree. Under the district court's order, if one-twelfth of the sum representing forty-five percent of Janelle's tuition at the Des Moines Christian School is added to the $300 monthly child support payment, the aggregate amount obtained substantially exceeds $384 per month. In State ex rel. Department of Human Services v. Burt, 469 N.W.2d 669 (Iowa 1991), we considered whether a high ratio of living expenses to net income on the part of a child support payor may serve as a basis for fixing child support below the guideline level. We concluded that that circumstance did not justify departure from the guidelines. We stated: [T]he guidelines already take into account the reasonable living expenses of the noncustodial parent, the very subject which prompted the district court to depart from the guidelines. In the absence of special circumstances, the reasonable living expenses of the noncustodial parent do not provide a ground for departing from the guidelines. Id. at 670. We believe that the guidelines also take into account the reasonable cost of living, including educational expenses, of dependent children and attempt to balance those costs against the legitimate needs and expenses of the payor parent. See State ex rel. Epps v. Epps, 473 N.W.2d 56, 58 (Iowa 1991). Although it is not our intention to characterize Janelle's attendance at the Des Moines Christian School as unreasonable, we do not believe that, considering Richard's monthly net income level of $1710, this provides any basis for increasing Richard's support level above the guideline amount. [1] We disagree with appellee's suggestion that because Richard acquiesced in Janelle's attendance at the Des Moines Christian School at the time of the original dissolution decree he should be subject to a modified level of support reflecting the increased tuition costs at that school. At the time of the original dissolution decree, the Des Moines Christian School had only a kindergarten through sixth grade curriculum. Both parties and undoubtedly the court in the original dissolution trial would have assumed that Janelle would attend the public schools after completion of sixth grade. For the reasons stated, we modify the district court's order by deleting the requirement that Richard pay forty-five percent of Janelle's tuition expense at the Des Moines Christian School. In doing this, however, we simultaneously increase Richard's monthly child support payment to $384, retroactive to October 16, 1989.