In This Corner, Weighing in at 314 Pages . . .

It’s the House Omnibus Education Finance and Policy Bill!

The House Education Finance Committee posted its omnibus education finance and policy bill online this afternoon and it’s a whopper!  The 314-page document incorporates the education policy provisions along with a set of proposed expenditures that adhere to the agreed-upon budget framework that was released last week.

Here is a link to the bill: HF 2497 Delete-All Amendment

I have yet to see a detailed budget sheet that outlines a comparison between the House’s position and the Governor’s recommendations, but here is what I have been able to discern:

• The bill calls for a 4% increase in the basic formula for next year and a 2% increase the year after with future increases tied to inflation.  This is the same as the Governor’s recommendation.
• A 47,8% reduction in the special education cross-subsidy.  This is slightly below the Governor’s recommendation of a 50% reduction.
• An increase in English Learner revenue.
• An increase in the transportation sparsity revenue formula for districts with costs in excess of what the current formula covers.
• Granting ability of school boards to renew an existing operating levy by board approval.
• $5 million per year to the service cooperatives for CTE grants.
• An ethnic studies requirement.
• $5 million for grants issued by the Building Assets Achieving Results (BARR) Center.
• $18.25 million per year for MTSS and COMPASS.  Money not in the base.
• $13.8 million per year for Full-Service Community Schools.  $12.6 million per year in base starting next biennium.
• $7.8 million in 2023-24 and $8.0 million for paraprofessional training.  Money in base going forward.
• READ Act that Sets Guidelines for Literacy Programs and Promotes Evidence-based Programming.  No mandated curriculum.  $40 million for reimbursement for currriculum purchases and $27.5 million for professional development.
• $10 million in each of the next two years to create a special education teacher pipeline.
• $25 million in 2023-24 and $50 million in 2024-25 for Student Support Personnel Aid.  $75 million per year in the base beginning next biennium.  Aid can be used to retain student support personnel hired with Federal ESSR money.
• $49 million over the biennium ($30 million next year, $19 million year after) for aid to provide special education teachers additional preparation time to complete due process paperwork.

That gives you a rough overview of what is in the House bill

And we will hear about it tomorrow when the bill is discussed in committee.