Building Assets, Reducing Risks Center funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF1388 appropriates $10 million in fiscal year 2026 and $10 million in fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to the commissioner of education for grants to the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) Center. The BARR Center would use the funding to deliver an evidence-based, research-validated school improvement program that includes coaching support, professional development, curriculum, and resources over a three-year period for each participating school site.
The bill requires the BARR Center to apply for the grants under procedures set by the commissioner of education and to select at least 40 schools for participation. Those schools must be geographically balanced across urban, suburban, and rural areas and must serve high concentrations of students in poverty or underrepresented students, including students from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. The stated goals are to improve student social and emotional skills and engagement, increase opportunity and academic achievement for students of color and students experiencing poverty, improve teacher satisfaction and effectiveness, and increase high school graduation rates.
The bill creates a new two-year general fund appropriation for education programming and directs the Department of Education to administer grants to the BARR Center. It does not amend substantive education statutes, but it does establish funding conditions, eligibility expectations, reporting/administrative requirements through the commissioner, and a cap allowing up to 3 percent of the appropriation for grant administration. The appropriations remain available for multiple fiscal years, extending use of the funds through June 30, 2028, for the 2026 appropriation and June 30, 2029, for the 2027 appropriation.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears supportive and programmatic rather than controversial. The bill is framed around an evidence-based intervention aimed at improving student outcomes, teacher effectiveness, and graduation rates, with a particular focus on schools serving students in poverty and students of color. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded vote history is provided in the context.
The main policy considerations likely center on the size and duration of the appropriation, the use of state general funds for a single outside program provider, and the requirement that participating schools be selected to ensure geographic balance and service to high-need student populations. Potential points of contention could include whether the BARR model is the best use of state education dollars, whether the program should be expanded statewide or targeted to specific schools, and how the selection criteria will be implemented to ensure equitable access across urban, suburban, and rural districts. No explicit objections are included in the provided discussion materials.