House Bill 709 creates the Additional Teacher Assistant Grant Program, a pilot program administered by the Department of Public Instruction to provide funding for teacher assistant positions in participating public schools. The program is designed to support early-grade classrooms by targeting kindergarten through third grade, with a staffing ratio of one teacher assistant for every class in kindergarten, first, and second grade, and one teacher assistant for every three third-grade classes.
The bill directs DPI to open an application process shortly after enactment and to select 16 participating public school units total: one local school administrative unit and one charter school from each of the state’s eight educational districts. Funding would be distributed based on an estimated statewide average salary and benefits per position and an average class size of 21 students. The act appropriates $14.8 million in nonrecurring General Fund dollars for each year of the 2025-2027 biennium and takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB709 would add a new state grant program and a corresponding appropriation in the Department of Public Instruction budget, creating a temporary pilot funding stream for teacher assistant positions in selected public schools. It does not broadly mandate staffing statewide; instead, it authorizes a limited competitive program for 16 school units, including both traditional districts and charter schools, and establishes a formula for distributing funds based on average salary, benefits, and class size assumptions. The bill would affect state education funding policy, DPI administrative responsibilities, and participating local school administrative units and charter schools.
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the materials provided. Based on the bill’s structure, the measure appears aimed at improving early literacy and classroom support, which suggests a generally positive policy intent, but the absence of discussion and voting history means sentiment cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s stated purpose and sponsorship.
The main potential points of contention are likely to be the cost of the program, the use of nonrecurring funds, and the fact that the pilot would serve only a limited number of school units rather than all public schools. Policymakers could also differ on whether teacher assistants are the best intervention for K-3 literacy and whether the selection process should include both local districts and charter schools in equal measure. Because no committee discussion or votes are provided, no specific objections or supporters are identified in the record.