Transcript Highlights:

• This raises the threshold to $500, giving different school districts and different school locations a
• little bit of leeway in how they enact that. ...giving different school districts and different school
• ...school students.
• Right now, do we have fewer schools or more public schools, not counting charter schools, than we did
• We have, even the schools that are off the formula, every school in the state of Oklahoma...

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• School counselors are required.
• On the counselors, I have taught 17 years at the high school. ...and public school teacher.
• I'm in elementary school now.
• high school students.
• And when I was in high school, we had so many college counselors in the high school that I went to.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met with a quorum and first temporarily postponed SB 920 on mathematics education. The committee then took up SB 1216, which would revise public school personnel compensation rules to give districts more flexibility in using cost-of-living adjustments, recognizing advanced degrees, and adjusting performance pay limits for educators and other school personnel. Senator Rodriguez said the bill would add tools for recruitment and retention without replacing performance pay, and several members spoke in strong support, emphasizing teacher pay, retention, and the need to invest in education. The bill was reported favorably after roll call. The committee next considered SB 1036 on school counselors. Senator Claudio explained that the bill addresses counselor shortages by removing a barrier tied to classroom-teacher certification requirements, which she said limits the applicant pool and makes it harder to recruit and retain counselors. Public testimony strongly supported the bill, including students and school personnel who described high counselor-to-student ratios, limited access to counseling, and the importance of mental health and academic guidance. Members also discussed related support roles such as BRACE advisors and the need for more efficient use of district resources and state support. During debate, senators shared personal examples of how counselors can help students identify goals and access opportunities, while also noting that many counselors are overwhelmed by administrative duties and large caseloads. Senator Claudio closed by saying the bill removes barriers for direct-service professionals and could be paired with future efforts on ratios and streamlined services. CS for SB 1036 was reported favorably by roll call. At the end of the meeting, members recorded their votes on SB 1216, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• For schools. You already said your last question. I'm sorry. School dish.
• But we do not need to have school-sponsored and school-sanctioned sex clubs, period. Wow.
• Attorneys' fees and ...a case against a school district or a school district officer.
• Southside Independent School District is the third largest school district in the state.
• He went to school in Cyprus. The school didn't protect him.

Summary: The House met in a late-session floor session that began with prayer, pledges, quorum, and a series of excused absences and Senate messages reporting action on numerous bills, conference committee appointments, and conference reports. Members also adopted a memorial resolution honoring Mark James Hanna, a Capitol lobbyist and advocate for nurses, and a congratulatory resolution for Rishi Tarumalasetti, an eighth-grade civics bee winner from Katy. The chamber also received and recorded a parliamentary colloquy about an unusual Senate request on SB 293, with the Chair stating the House could not recede from only part of its amendments and could not suspend the rules because the bill had not been returned from the Senate. The bulk of the session was devoted to taking up conference committee reports and related procedural resolutions, especially the state budget. The House adopted a resolution allowing the SB 1 conferees to go outside the normal bounds, then adopted the SB 1 conference report on a 107-21 vote. Debate on the budget centered on public education funding, tax relief, health care, corrections pay, and judicial compensation, with supporters calling it a responsible compromise and opponents arguing it was overly expansive and insufficient on property tax relief. The House also adopted a technical correction resolution tying judicial pay increases in SB 1 to the House version of SB 293, and members discussed at length the relationship between judicial salaries and legislative pensions. The chamber then adopted a long series of conference reports on measures covering topics such as school library review and book challenges (SB 13), SNAP restrictions on sweetened drinks and candy (SB 379), hospital price transparency (SB 331), nursing home accountability (SB 457), school district personnel compensation conflicts (HB 3372), property notice rules (HB 2011), research and development tax credits (SB 2018), and several other bills affecting elections, permits, education, and criminal justice. Most reports passed by wide margins, though some drew significant opposition, especially SB 13 and SB 379. The House also granted several Senate requests for conference committees and introduced additional resolutions to suspend conferee limits on various bills as the session moved toward adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
• > and elementary schools one middle school and elementary schools one middle school and one<01:34
• school has one high school um our high school has an<01:34:06.840> emotional<01:34:07.320>
• <01:35:26.600> um<01:35:26.880> a school within a school almost um a school within
• that the the school school had IEP and that the the school was<01:59:07.360> not<01:59:07.679

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on HB 563, which would revise the education funding formula for pupils receiving special education services by replacing the current single special education amount with three differentiated categories. Representative Rick Ladd, the prime sponsor, said the bill largely tracks a House-passed version from the prior session with minor figure adjustments, and explained that the proposal uses projected FY26 amounts for three categories based on time in general education versus more intensive placements. He also noted that the bill does not address catastrophic aid directly, but that special education aid, CAT aid, and proration all remain issues for later work sessions. Ladd and supporters argued that weighted categories better reflect actual costs and are more sustainable than treating all IEPs the same. Representative Margaret Drye said the approach was one of the best ideas from the education funding subcommittee and urged the committee to support differentiated aid. Representative Ames asked how the category amounts were derived, and Ladd said Category A follows the FY26 base, Category B is a higher weight, and Category C is a still higher weight for more intensive services, though he acknowledged the exact multipliers were developed earlier and could be revisited. He also said the committee would continue discussing whether the weights are appropriate and how they interact with CAT aid. Testimony from Bonnie Dunham strongly opposed the bill. She argued that funding based on placement rather than actual service need would create incentives to move students into more restrictive settings, could stigmatize children with labels such as "Category C," and would undermine the least restrictive environment requirements under federal special education law. She described her son’s experience in inclusive settings as beneficial and said the bill would have penalized the district for serving him there. In response to questions, she said schools and parents should base funding on the child’s actual needs and costs, not on placement, and urged the committee to recommend the bill inexpedient to legislate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Farmington School District, yes. Farmington School District.
• <00:26:25.080> uh schools and becomes 64% of all School uh schools and becomes 64% of all
• <00:35:32.480> 90%<00:35:33.480> of schools so they pay the schools 90% of schools
• c> to<00:35:58.839> pay school schools being required to pay school schools being required
• school district the school money to the school district the school district<00:47:03.559> doesn't<

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Finance Committee met on January 21, 2025, for its first hearing of the session and began with organizational business. Members and staff introduced themselves, described their districts and backgrounds, and the chair reviewed committee procedures, including how to request bill hearings, amendment deadlines, and handout deadlines. The committee also heard introductions from nonpartisan and partisan staff, including House Research and House Fiscal Analysis personnel who will support the committee’s work this session. The main substantive item was an overview presentation on the state budget and education finance process. Staff explained how Minnesota’s general fund is forecast twice a year, how the committee should read the budget documents and aid/levy tracking sheets, and how the current biennium compares with the upcoming budget window. They described the November forecast, noted that the committee will later receive the February forecast, and outlined the committee’s role in reviewing K-12 state aid spending, school district revenue, and property tax impacts. Staff walked through the aid appropriation summary spreadsheet and explained its columns, including end-of-session spending, fiscal year 2024-25 actuals and estimates, and the 2026-27 and 2028-29 planning horizons. They emphasized that many education programs are forecast-driven and can change with enrollment and other data. The presentation also summarized the state’s overall revenue mix and spending priorities, noting that K-12 education is the largest general fund category and that state aid makes up the majority of school revenue. No bills were heard and no votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you have private schools in your districts or it's all going home schools?
• program school.
• School choice, which I appreciate school choice. Some of these guys about it.
• I have one private school. My district is that her school.
• with regard to and there is an absolute need for private school homeschool charter schools.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For more UN videos visit www.un.org Item E, S 24023 Combined School for Melrose School District, this
• Item F, C 21003 for Gallup McKinley County Schools, the high school, this is an award language change
• It's provided to state charter schools as well as district schools that are leasing facilities for the
• Two charter schools and one constitutional school submitted applications: Sacramento School of Engineering
• I'm in my third term with New Mexico School Boards and a proud member of Pojoaque Valley Schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• delivery in our schools. delivery in our schools.
• at that school and the school leadership at that school knows<00:23:32.880> what's<00:23:33.080
• . schools. schools.
• Schools Network. Schools Network.
• And they're one of the schools that was impacted by the school bus crisis.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SCR 78, which urges the Department of Education to strengthen natural health education and adopt a comprehensive menstrual cycle curriculum. The Department of Education said it supported the intent and had offered technical amendments to scaffold the curriculum by grade level. The Commission on the Status of Women and several advocates, including students and Ma'i Movement Hawaiʻi, testified in support, describing gaps in menstrual health education, stigma, and the need for more inclusive, age-appropriate instruction. No opposition was heard, and the chair moved on after no questions from members. The committee then took up SCR 194, urging the Department of Education to meet the criteria to recognize cheerleading as a Title IX sport. The Department supported the measure, noting recent expansion of girls flag football and surfing as recognized sports and saying cheerleading would create additional opportunities for students. The Commission on the Status of Women also supported the resolution, saying it could improve participation, resource allocation, and representation for female students. No opposition or further action was recorded in the excerpt. Finally, the committee discussed SCR 195, requesting the Board of Education and Department of Education to revise graduation requirements to include a standalone financial literacy course. The Board of Education and Department of Education both supported the intent but cautioned against a one-size-fits-all mandate, emphasizing school-level flexibility, existing stand-alone and online options, and the requirement that the class of 2030 must complete financial literacy before graduation. Hawaii Kids Can supported the resolution while raising questions about equity, access, quality, and how different delivery models compare; it also asked for more information on community survey data. Committee members questioned the department and board about asynchronous versus in-person instruction, standards, and how the requirement would be tracked in the personal transition plan. No vote or final action was taken in the provided portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Can charter schools and public schools come under the umbrella of this particular bill?
• for the approval of charter schools and public schools to do this?
• This would actually be a type of school that... Limited to that school district only.
• Well, you know, charter schools or public schools.
• Well, you know, charter schools or public schools.

Summary: The House Education Committee met on May 6 and first welcomed LSU President Wade Roos and Chancellor Jim Dalton, who outlined LSU’s goals of becoming an elite, accessible flagship university, increasing research expenditures, improving student recruitment and retention, and expanding pathways that keep Louisiana students in-state. Members praised the new leadership and LSU’s workforce and research direction, and a representative from LSU enrollment reported gains in TOPS Excellence commitments for the coming fall. The committee then advanced several education bills. SB 105 by Sen. Kathy, which reinstates TOPS Tech eligibility for honorably discharged veterans, was reported favorably without objection. SB 374, also by Sen. Kathy, creates a uniform framework for college economic development districts; members adopted an amendment adding a legislator to each district board, and the bill was reported favorably with amendments. SB 304 by Sen. Edmonds, which authorizes the Board of Regents to establish a list of eligible accreditors and allows institutions to seek different accreditors, was reported favorably. SB 522 by Sen. Edmonds, allowing vocational and technical charter schools to apply directly to BESE as Type 2 charters with Commerce and Industry support, drew discussion about whether the authority should extend to public schools as well; it ultimately passed 9-1. The committee also approved SB 290 by Sen. Abraham, a cleanup bill requiring school system concurrence before student exit-code changes in the data system, and HCR 81 by Rep. Freiberg, which asks the Department of Education to study options for districts facing declining enrollment and related financial pressures. HCR 175 by Rep. Larvadain, a study resolution on possible TOPS Tech changes, was deferred by the author because it overlapped with another measure. Several members also used personal privilege to welcome local mayors and community guests to the committee room.

Transcript Highlights:

• And to school or whether to incorporate this going forward. And to school grades.
• So I've got 2 boys, one in middle school and elementary school.
• I can tell you firsthand in our middle school, we go to an ivy school public school.
• That transition from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school and thanks to the implementation
• of school improvement.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• every school board in New Hampshire. every school board in New Hampshire.
• Did they go back to public<00:28:47.039> school? public school? public school?
• school and in you know paper the school school and in you know paper the school with<01:30:14.080
• school year. school year.
• Uh after the word school, school, school, we<02:03:42.560> just<02:03:42.639> add<02:03

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . schools. schools.
• In many cases, the school, the middle school, doesn't offer Algebra 1 in middle school, I think, is the
• middle school. middle school.
• > high<01:47:22.480> schools<01:47:22.800> across lot of our schools, high schools
• schools? schools?

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• FOR THE USE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDS PROHIBITS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHARTER SCHOOLS AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS
• THE BILL ALSO REPEALS FLORIDA SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS ALLOWS SCHOOLS TO PURCHASE AND USE EMERGENCY OPIOID
• RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING TEACHERS WHO WORK IN CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE FLORIDA SCHOOL RECOGNITION PROGRAM
• MAPS USED BY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHARTER SCHOOLS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
• SAFETY GUARDS AND EXTENDS PROTECTIONS TO SCHOOL GUARDIANS TO COVER SCHOOL SECURITY GUARDS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• school bus stop arms. school bus stop arms.
• <00:10:49.400> bus obligation to stop for a school bus obligation to stop for a school bus
• get to school and a bus driver. get to school and a bus driver.
• next school year. next school year. Thank<00:26:02.400> you,<00:26:02.480> Mr.
• <00:36:37.480> and<00:36:37.640> school because school board members and school because

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• school.
• . schools. schools.
• another school. another school.
• Is it the school or is it the commission? The schools. Yeah. The schools.
• . schools. schools.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They have a trusted adult in the school environment, and they have a classroom and school community that
• a private Jewish school.
• We have our school administrators.
• the by the school.
• School community where I was a school board trustee that are very concerned.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On here we only have about 10 schools. On here, we only have about 10 school districts listed.
• school years.
• back in that school year.
• that school year.
• school learning.

Summary: The committee first approved the May 18 meeting minutes and then received a presentation from Legislative Audit on Arkansas Department of Education grant distributions. Auditors explained that the fiscal year 2025 report summarizes $4.6 billion in grants from state, federal, and miscellaneous sources, across school districts, charter schools, education cooperatives, and other entities, and that the report only shows amounts distributed, not how recipients ultimately used the money. Members asked about specific recipients and programs, including ClassWallet, Economics Arkansas, and CDC surveillance funding; department staff clarified that the Economics Arkansas grant is written into special language and that the CDC-related funding supports student surveys used by state agencies. Questions also focused on bonus and incentive programs such as master principal and National Board Certified teacher bonuses, with department staff saying the bonuses are generally tied to completion of the program or certification rather than classroom performance, though they would follow up on details. The committee then heard a Bureau of Legislative Research update on Consumer Price Index projections from Moody’s Analytics and S&P Global. Dr. Carlos Silva explained the difference between CPI-U and core CPI and said the estimates show inflation slowing over the forecast period, with some near-term variation between the two data providers. Members asked about the historical accuracy of prior projections, and he said the forecasts generally tend to move toward about 2 percent over time, though recent shocks have caused earlier estimates to understate actual inflation. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to the final adequacy report on teacher recruitment, retention, and salaries. BLR staff reviewed Arkansas teacher demographics, shortage areas, educator preparation pipelines, licensure exceptions, survey results from teachers and principals, and teacher support programs. They reported that Arkansas had about 32,800 teachers and 473,000 students in 2025, with an average of 11.9 years of experience and a slight increase in National Board Certified teachers. The report found shortages in multiple subject areas, especially special education, math, science, foreign language, and social studies, and identified 65 districts as high-need geographically. Survey results showed school leadership as the strongest positive factor in recruitment and retention, while workload and salary were the biggest negatives; 30 percent of responding teachers said they were considering leaving the profession. The committee also reviewed teacher salary data showing a statewide average salary of $60,254 in 2025, Arkansas ranking 45th nationally by NEA methodology, and a long-term inflation-adjusted decline in district salaries, though LEARNS Act increases improved the trend. Members asked for additional follow-up information on survey methodology, alternative licensure costs, coursework, incentives for ESL and special education endorsements, exit data, and how salary comparisons are calculated.

Transcript Highlights:

• And uh the per public school student.
• The cost of schools and education.
• comes to making sure that the schools comes to making sure that the schools are<00:10:09.360>
• safety, especially with schools. safety, especially with schools.
• lot of money, but some money to school lot of money, but some money to school safety<00:10:30.840

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: A Minnesota senator discussed recent education gains, including the state’s all-time high graduation rate of nearly 85%, and credited bipartisan work on education policy and finance, along with targeted investments in classroom funding, student and staff mental health, and overall student well-being. She said those efforts have especially helped groups that have historically lagged behind, including American Indian, African-American, and Asian students. A major topic was Senate File 3593, a bipartisan proposal for a constitutional amendment to modernize the state’s school trust fund. The senator explained that Minnesota’s school trust lands and related fund, now about $2.3 billion, currently distribute roughly $74 per student through interest and dividends. The amendment would allow more flexible investment and increase the distribution from 2% to 4.5%, which supporters estimate would raise per-student funding to about $122 without increasing taxes. She said the proposal is intended to preserve the fund’s corpus while generating more money for schools now, with a three-year lookback to review results. She also highlighted school safety funding in the session’s public safety bills, including money for school security and the first-ever grants to non-public schools. She said those dollars can support not only building security but also mental health and social-emotional needs. In the education omnibus bill, she pointed to changes to compensatory aid formulas, a report on how districts use dollars for teacher and staff health insurance, and interest in a possible statewide health plan to improve efficiency and services. No votes were taken in the interview, but she urged voters to approve the constitutional amendment in November and noted that blank ballots would count as no votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• What the bill also does is it extends $46 to charter schools, to nonpublic schools, and to tribal schools
• Can you be at school?
• Private school, charter school, public school, does not matter until we figure that out.
• Private school, charter school, public school, does not matter until we figure that out.
• I have kids in school, while people have kids in school.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House took up Senate File 3432, a public safety bill requiring identifying equipment and insignia to be removed from emergency vehicles sold to the public. The chamber first adopted a House language amendment, then debated a broader security package that would fund judicial and courthouse security, Capitol security measures, short-term protection for legislators facing credible threats, State Patrol deficiency funding, and additional BCA analysts and investigators to assess threats statewide. Supporters framed the bill as necessary to protect public safety, democracy, and First Amendment activity at the Capitol and courthouses; they also said the package was pared down from larger requests and based on security reviews. The House adopted an A-1 amendment clarifying that BCA staff could investigate threats statewide, and later rejected a Schultz A-3 amendment that would have eliminated all appropriations in the bill. The A-3 was defeated on a 37-94 vote after the House upheld the Speaker’s ruling that a proposed school-safety secondary amendment was not germane, with that appeal decided 69-62. A major theme of debate was whether the Legislature should prioritize security for members and the Capitol before passing school safety funding. Several members argued they could not support spending tens of millions on Capitol and legislative security without first funding school safety for all students, including public, charter, private, and tribal schools. Others defended the bill as necessary because of recent threats and violence, including the June 14 tragedy, and said the Capitol security changes were based on professional recommendations. Some members also criticized the new security setup as overly restrictive or “security theater,” while supporters said the measures were needed to keep the public, staff, and lawmakers safe. After the A-3 was defeated, the bill was read for third time and members continued floor debate. The discussion remained split between those emphasizing immediate Capitol and legislative security needs and those insisting school safety should come first. Representative Agbaje then moved to table the bill, and the clerk began a roll call on that motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• a job at a school as a janitor.
• So going back to the high school graduation rate of 90%... School graduation rate of 90%.
• We'll have to continue to help them through middle school and high school.
• a Career Tech High School.
• And the two is after-school... Students, and the two is after-school experiences.

Keywords: 924, joint, all