Transcript Highlights:

• There's only 47 schools receiving $100 million. Most of them are the elite private schools.
• My dad taught at a public school. My mother-in-law taught at a public school.
• I went to public school, our parents went to public school.
• I do not want to make homeschool or private school, public school, testing equal.
• I want private schools to be different. I want private schools to be different.

Keywords: 1204, all

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:

• 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:

• </c><00:41:09.319><c> is</c><00:41:09.480><c> no</c> schools are public schools there is no schools are
• </c><00:41:39.640><c> for</c> schools and public schools uh for schools and public schools uh for example
• <00:41:40.839><c> public</c><00:41:41.160><c> schools</c> example public schools example public schools
• schools.
• </c> public school is it only public school public school is it only public school students<03:50:23.199

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met in executive session and first took up HB 193, which clarifies that dual and concurrent enrollment courses may not exceed four credits. Members said the bill came from the community college system and was intended to preserve the program’s high school-to-college pathway. An amendment changing the effective date to passage was adopted 18-0, and the committee then voted 18-0 to recommend OTPA on the bill as amended, with the bill placed on the consent calendar. The committee then retained HB 295 and HB 366, both related to school building aid, after members said the issues were complex and needed more work. Both motions to retain passed 18-0, leaving the bills in committee without reports. The chair also said HB 354 would not be taken up that day because of possible changes from the Department of Education and others. HB 494, funding the math learning communities program, was then amended to flat-fund the program rather than increase it, with members citing budget uncertainty. The amendment passed unanimously, and the committee then voted 18-0 for OTPA on the bill as amended, placing it on consent. Finally, HB 515, which would repeal charter public school eligibility for state school building aid, drew debate over whether charter schools should be treated differently from traditional public schools. The committee voted 10-8 for inexpedient to legislate, sending the bill to the regular calendar; Representative Damon was assigned the minority report and Representative Popovic the majority report. The committee then began HB 716, an appropriation for the dual and concurrent enrollment program, where members discussed flat-funding the program at $2.5 million per year and the potential impact on course availability, but the transcript cuts off before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• . school. school.
• </c> school district or the local school school district or the local school district.<01:14:59.080><
• . schools. schools.
• </c> charter schools. charter schools.
• </c> 26-27 school year. 26-27 school year.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission on the costing of special education met to review several documents and updates, including draft materials on residential placements, an LBA dispute resolution report, prior minutes, rate-setting rules, and a letter involving Senator Hassan. The minutes from March 16 were approved by motion, second, and one abstention. Members also received an update that the LBA special education performance audit is still pending; the report is expected to be very large, NHED and the Board of Education must review and comment before release, and it likely will not be available until late summer or early fall. The separate EFA audit was also noted as still unreleased, and members said they may return later to issues involving EFA costing and differentiated aid. A major focus was HB 1099, which would create a committee to study the cost and liability of providing educational services to students placed in residential facilities. The chair explained that the House version had passed unanimously and the bill was headed to a committee of conference. Members discussed a proposed amendment to add the phrase “including but not limited to” so the study would cover not only court-ordered or treatment-related placements but also other residential placements, including those tied to school district decisions. Some members said this was a substantial expansion, while others said it would simply give the committee broader latitude. Jason Stock of the Winnisquam Regional School Board described how the issue arose during budget work at Winnisquam, where the district was trying to determine who should pay for educational services for students living at Spaulding Youth Center in Northfield. He said the district had 10 students attending Winnisquam, including three foster students and seven students connected to Spaulding, and that Spaulding-specific invoicing for 2024-2025 totaled $141,417.05 for eight students. Members also discussed rising private placement tuition costs and the difficulty of determining residency and fiscal responsibility for students placed in residential settings. Department counsel explained that under RSA 193:27 and 193:28, children placed in a home for children may attend the local district school, and that special education cost responsibility depends on whether the student is identified as disabled and on the nature of the placement. Spaulding representatives had not yet presented by the end of the excerpt, and the committee was still working through the residency and funding questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> public schools a certain dollar amount. public schools a certain dollar amount.
• </c><00:15:29.360><c> So</c> within a system in a school. So within a system in a school.
• </c> school districts are going to see this. school districts are going to see this.
• c> in</c> the school district or school in the school district or school in developing<01:16:22.960><
• c> is</c> public school district or school is public school district or school is deemed<01:21:03.040

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• school funding.
• The costs are for TK and the K-12 schools. So it's in the K-12 schools. Okay.
• proposal to eliminate all before-school, after-school, and summer programming.
• proposal to eliminate all prior to school after school and summer programming.
• Are these programs only in schools, at schools, including students, or—?

Summary: The committee heard the May Revision presentation for the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, with public comment focused heavily on K-12 priorities such as universal school meals, kitchen infrastructure, food service and custodial support, youth leadership grants, Special Olympics funding, English learner support, universal pre-K, literacy investments, and concerns about community college funding shifts. Speakers also urged support for expanded learning, teacher recruitment and training, and maintaining or increasing funding for community colleges and student support programs. Finance and the LAO then reviewed the Proposition 98 outlook. Finance said the May Revision lowers the 2025-26 Prop. 98 guarantee to $114.6 billion, about $4.3 billion below January, due mainly to lower revenue estimates, with smaller effects from attendance and property tax changes. The administration also described rebenching for universal transitional kindergarten and a one-time rebench tied to Los Angeles fire-related property tax losses, along with changes to the Public School System Stabilization Account, deferrals, and updated COLA assumptions. The LAO said the budget relies too much on deferrals and one-time funds, creates a structural shortfall, and should instead align ongoing spending with the guarantee and preserve a reserve buffer. Members questioned the TK rebench and the shift of funding from community colleges to K-12, asking why it was being applied retroactively and how colleges would be held harmless. Finance said the changes align funding with where TK costs are being incurred and that reappropriation funding and other adjustments would offset impacts on community colleges. The LAO argued the historical split formula is outdated and should be abandoned in favor of budgeting around current priorities rather than fixed percentages. Members also raised concerns about draining the rainy day reserve and using deferrals, while the LAO said preserving reserves would better protect against future volatility. The committee then moved to specific K-12 and education proposals. Finance outlined May Revision changes including state operations adjustments for the Department of Education, technical trailer bill changes, a $100 million student teacher stipend program administered by Kern County, and updates to the charter school facility grant program. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposed increases for expanded learning, literacy coaches, and the student teacher stipend as currently structured, while supporting the minimum grant increase for expanded learning. Members expressed support for teacher recruitment efforts but questioned whether one-time funding can sustain ongoing programs and whether the student teacher stipend should be targeted to shortage areas or low-income communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• , both charter and district schools, to give schools money for SROs, SSOs, counselors, and school hardening
• schools.
• Members, school districts are more than just a school for children.
• Members, school districts are more than just a school for children.
• Members, school districts are more than just a school for children.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the prior journal, and a series of guest introductions, including the day’s Doctor of the Day and many school board members and students visiting for Arizona School Board Association Advocacy Day. Members repeatedly highlighted concerns about school facilities funding and welcomed local education leaders from across the state. The chamber then moved through attendance, committee assignments, and a large number of Senate and House bill readings and referrals. A major portion of the day was spent in Committee of the Whole considering numerous bills and amendments. Among the most notable was SCR 1054, a memorial resolution honoring former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, which was unanimously adopted after remarks praising his public service and consumer-protection work. The House also considered HB 2728 on Department of Economic Security continuation and policy changes; after divided-question debate and a recorded division vote, the amended bill received a do-pass recommendation by 32-25. Other bills receiving do-pass recommendations in committee included measures on school safety center funding and governance (HB 2142), school board training (HB 2379), HOA disclosure reforms (HB 2397), credit freezes for foster youth (HB 2321), and several health and human services and judiciary measures. The House then took up third-reading votes on several bills. HB 2053, appropriating money to the Department of Water Resources, passed 32-24; HB 2175, on sentencing, failed 25-31; HB 2327, on records confidentiality, passed 54-2; HB 2416, appropriating money to the Department of Public Safety, passed 33-23 after debate over immigration enforcement funding; HB 2492, relating to urban growth boundaries and initiative/referendum effects, failed 27-29; and HB 2805, making school board races partisan, passed 31-25 despite strong opposition from members who argued school boards should remain nonpartisan. The transcript ends with the House continuing through additional business and votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Was there any conversation with the school districts, either the Mansfield School District or any other
• On our school funding.
• School district, is that correct?
• . ...school district.
• To determine school funding, the TEA calculates a total cost based on how many students come to school

Bills: HB329, HB361, HB546, HB1547, HB1745, HB2786, HB3235, HB3370, HB3575, HJR83

Keywords: appraisal, property value, residential real estate, tax code, appraisal review board, property owners, property tax, homeowners, property owner rights, property appraisal, taxation, Texas Tax Code, real estate, ad valorem tax, homestead exemption, market value, condemnation, tax appraisal, open-space land, land use

Transcript Highlights:

• is an ALC high School District my school is an ALC high school<00:10:33.279><c> that</c><00:10:33.399
• I've been a high school principal similarly in rural schools.
• c><01:19:58.280><c> agree</c><01:19:58.600><c> that</c> school so the school must agree that school so
• </c><01:40:07.760><c> um</c> School several times in high school um School several times in high school
• or other school Morehead Public Schools or other school districts<01:42:31.440><c> across</c><01:42:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• While McKinney-Vento requires schools to identify and enroll these students, only about 10% of school
• School campuses are increasingly encountering these emergencies, and in many cases school resource officers
• School campuses are increasingly encountering these emergencies and in many cases school resource officers
• As we all know, while school districts are required to come up with their comprehensive school safety
• And so a lot of local school districts are saying that the school safety mandates are becoming unwieldy

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• they're on the school campus using school equipment.
• they're on the school campus using school equipment.
• School. School.
• And schools also support feeder schools.
• </c> at Purple Star Schools. at Purple Star Schools.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard an Office of Education Technology presentation on the Kentucky Education Technology System (KTS) and a request to increase its annual budget from $15.4 million to $30 million, including an additional $14.6 million. The witness described KTS as a statewide service model that provides districts with student information and financial systems, internet bandwidth, regional support, cybersecurity, online registration, learning management and email services, and collaborative instructional technology support. He argued the state’s centralized purchasing saves districts 40% to 60% compared with buying services individually, and said federal internet discounts and district matching funds create a strong return on investment. He also said KTS has faced long-term funding cuts, has not received a cost-of-living increase since 1992, and is now at a “breaking point” where some services may have to be shifted to districts at higher cost. The request was broken into six main items: restoring funding for the computer science and information technology academy; strengthening cybersecurity defenses in response to sharply rising attacks on K-12 systems; funding online registration through Infinite Campus; stabilizing ongoing support costs for Infinite Campus; providing cost-of-living increases for KTS services; and increasing the KTS financial assistance sent to districts, which requires local matching funds. Members asked about the current appropriation, and the witness said it is $15.4 million. One member praised the office’s work and support for districts, while another noted the district had been an early adopter of one-to-one technology. The committee then received an overview of the KRS 156 salary schedule and step-and-rank system for state-operated career and technical education staff at area technology centers. Officials explained that salaries are set under statute and regulation based on years of service and educational rank, with annual calculations tied to statewide teacher salary averages and retroactive adjustments to July 1. They said the current ABR request is $325,000 over the biennium to cover step and rank increases. The presentation noted that KRS 156 salaries are generally comparable to local districts but are less competitive with business and industry, making recruitment and retention difficult, especially for instructors coming from the trades. Members agreed that trade instructors are underpaid relative to the market and said the issue deserves further review, with department officials indicating they are considering possible statutory revisions and a delayed implementation in a future biennium.

Transcript Highlights:

• district, charter school, or state tribal education compact school updates or purchases a curriculum
• Beginning September 1, 2027, when a school district, charter school, or state tribal education compact
• School districts that operate a high school must provide a mandatory one-half credit...
• School districts that operate a high school must provide a mandatory one-half credit standalone course
• I went in page school this last week, and I asked the kids in page school who knows cursive, who writes

Summary: The committee first took up a motion from Ranking Member Root to promptly schedule public hearings on two citizens’ initiatives. Supporters argued the Constitution and public accountability required hearings so voters could hear pro and con arguments; opponents said the legislature was not obligated to act that way and the initiatives would still be heard at the ballot. On a voice vote, the motion failed. The committee then heard extensive testimony on House Bill 1295, which would require evidence-aligned, comprehensive literacy instruction for K-4 students, update teacher endorsement standards and preparation programs, and require literacy-related continuing education for some teachers. The bill also repeals several older literacy-related provisions. The sponsor and supporters said Washington’s reading results are too low and that structured literacy reflects the science of reading; districts such as Puyallup described strong gains after adopting evidence-aligned instruction. Opponents and alternative-program advocates argued the bill could narrow instructional approaches and exclude programs they say have worked well. PESB testified neutrally that much of the endorsement work is already underway but asked for clarification on recertification language. The hearing on HB 1295 was suspended and later resumed with additional pro testimony from students, parents, and literacy advocates. House Bill 2262 was then heard and completed. It would require high school civics instruction to include teaching students to produce a legible, repeatable official signature and explain how signatures are used in elections and ballot processes, while also requiring related outreach and reporting on signature mismatch ballot rejections. The sponsor and county auditor testimony emphasized that younger voters often have signatures that change over time and that better instruction could reduce ballot rejections; questions focused on whether the bill should account for printed signatures and diverse writing systems. The Secretary of State’s office and county auditors were reported as supportive, and the hearing closed after a large number of pro sign-ins. The committee also heard House Bill 2636, which would create a public education performance, operations, and funding review commission to evaluate whether education mandates and funding are effective, relevant, and adequately supported. Supporters said the bill would help identify unfunded mandates and reduce administrative burdens on districts; rural district testimony urged a narrower scope and earlier start date. Finally, House Bill 2007 was heard, proposing competency-based assessments as additional graduation pathway options in place of some existing course/exam requirements. Student testimony supported more flexible, equitable pathways, while the State Board of Education said it supports competency-based education but preferred to wait for its broader Future Ready graduation-requirements work and noted the bill would require additional rulemaking. The hearing on HB 2007 closed after testimony from students and a neutral statement from SBE.

Transcript Highlights:

• and had a process for responsibilities of the sending school, receiving school district.
• </c><00:09:22.160><c> receiving</c><00:09:22.720><c> school</c> the sending school receiving school the
• school budget that composed a school school budget that it's<00:15:19.680><c> really</c><00:15:20.079
• school building aid?
• Uh, school building aid? Uh, school building aid myself. You all right?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first discussed HB 771, the open enrollment bill, which had returned from the Senate with language clarifying that districts should list both tuition expenses and offsetting revenue estimates from sending districts. The chair and Representative McGuire supported concurring with the Senate changes, while Representative Luno raised broader concerns about the bill’s structure and equity, arguing that tuition based on 80% of the sending district’s average cost could be unfair and could create problems for receiving districts with different cost structures. After a show of hands, the committee voted to concur and send that recommendation to the House floor, with Luno indicating he would speak against it there. The committee then took up SB 9 in executive session. An amendment, 1920H, was offered to clarify that the tuition calculation should use the sending district’s average cost and to support access to CTE programs, including allowing students to take academic courses at the receiving school and, in some cases, attend the nearest CTE center. Supporters said the bill would help more students participate in career and technical education and noted bipartisan sponsorship in the Senate. Opponents argued the amendment would increase district costs, strain property taxpayers, and could reduce CTE participation or create logistical problems. The committee adopted the amendment 10-8, then voted 10-8 to recommend OTPA as amended; Representative Lad was assigned the majority report and Representative Luno the minority ITL report. After closing the SB 9 executive session, the chair reminded members that committee reports were due immediately and announced retained-bill subcommittees. One subcommittee will address adequacy and school funding issues arising from HB 651, HB 772, HB 491, and HB 434, chaired by Representative Spillsbury. Another will address school building aid issues from HB 295 and HB 366, including whether to keep the current formula or revise it, and how to handle renovations, new construction, and lease arrangements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fourth, school administrators play a central role in creating effective working conditions in schools
• nurses at every school.
• all the way up, because that’s where we see we could do a lot more to get high school... ...school kids
• Right now, one in seven California teachers is not fully credentialed in our schools—Black schools, brown
• schools, and low-income schools.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Number two is the opt-in for non-public schools, tribal schools, and reservation schools.
• to school.
• And I would say that's going to vary from school to school.
• And I would say that's going to vary from school to school.
• school.

Bills: HB1623

Keywords: HB 1623, North Dakota, rural health, rural health transformation program, medical facility infrastructure loan fund, medical facility infrastructure loan program, rural health loan program, Bank of North Dakota, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, federal grant, health care infrastructure, rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, nonprofit health care providers, gap financing, loan fund, public health funding, healthcare financing, Medicaid

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 1624, the “Universal Lunch Bill,” from Rep. Mike Nathie. He argued the proposal should be placed in Century Code rather than the Constitution so future legislatures can adjust it if state finances tighten, and said the bill would start the program a year earlier with a $65 million appropriation for one school year. DPI testified that the estimate did not include nonpublic schools that do not participate, and members questioned the impact on Title I, free-and-reduced applications, private-school accountability, breakfast mandates for schools that do not currently serve breakfast, and whether the funding could come from the DPI budget or other sources. Supporters, including North Dakota United, the North Dakota Catholic Conference, a pediatrician, and the American Heart Association, said universal meals improve student health and learning, reduce family costs, and are better handled in statute than by constitutional amendment. No opposition testimony was offered, and the chair closed the hearing for later work-session action. The committee then took up House Bill 1627, introduced by Rep. Tye Dressler, which would raise the income threshold for the state-funded school lunch program from 225% to 300% of poverty, with an estimated cost of about $7 million for 2026-27. Dressler said the bill is intended as a targeted, budget-friendly alternative to the ballot measure and emphasized that the state should maximize federal meal dollars while improving participation in the current program. Members questioned whether raising the threshold would actually increase utilization, whether a dollar amount would be clearer than a percentage, and how the change would affect federal reimbursements and application rates. DPI said it could quickly calculate additional percentage levels, and the chair closed the hearing, directing DPI to prepare more numbers for the work session. Finally, the committee opened Senate Bill 2403, presented by Sen. Schiable, to create a short-term bridge-loan program for financially distressed hospitals, centered on Jacobson Memorial Hospital in Elgin. The bill would authorize up to $5 million per loan, with a $10 million appropriation available on a first-come, first-served basis, and would run only through June 30, 2027. Schiable said the hospital’s debt and operating problems threaten local health care, ambulance service, and the community’s economy, and that the proposal was designed narrowly with Bank of North Dakota review to avoid creating a broad precedent. Committee members asked whether the appropriation could be reduced and whether the bank would still apply commercial feasibility and repayment standards; Schiable said yes, the bank would still evaluate the loan and could reject it if it was not sound.

Transcript Highlights:

• for the school boys 6A state champions for the school boys 6A state champions for the school year 2024
• pattern with this school, a very historic school in nature.
• School School 28-7.
• or junior high school. into high school or junior high school. into high school or junior high school
• officials where school juvenile school officials where school juvenile school officials where school

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All very small towns, all had one school. Each had their own school board.
• </c> there's 32 charter school SAUS. there's 32 charter school SAUS.
• </c> of the schools in the SAU. of the schools in the SAU.
• </c> small schools. small schools.
• </c> school that would be combined here. school that would be combined here.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved corrected minutes from October 6 after members noted and fixed several transcription and spelling errors, including a clarification that a comment about SAU numbers came from former Senator Jim Rubin. The vote to approve the corrected minutes was moved, seconded, and adopted with one abstention. The main presentation came from Chuck Bates of the New Hampshire Association of School Business Officials (ASBO), who described the organization, its certification program, and the role of school business administrators. He explained that ASBO members handle accounting and financial management, facilities, food service, HR, information systems, transportation, and risk management. He also outlined the certification program, which includes 21 courses, most online, plus four in-person workshops unique to New Hampshire, and noted that many members are not certified because the state licensure requirement was removed. Bates then addressed the committee’s interest in SAU consolidation and county-wide restructuring. He said business administrators often manage multiple budgets, attend school board meetings, and serve as a visible point of contact for the community. He argued that consolidation would create operational and financial challenges, including staff and facility relocation, differing accounting systems, lack of a standardized chart of accounts, and uncertain return on investment. He said the biggest obstacle would be local control, especially in small towns that do not want outside decisions affecting school closures, class sizes, or student transportation. Committee members questioned him about the distinction between administrative and academic control, the size of district offices in larger cities, and what might reduce administrative costs; Bates responded that many administrative costs stem from legislation and that consolidation would be difficult to implement without local support.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:11:32.079><c> the</c><00:11:32.320><c> school</c> superintendent school, help the school superintendent
• > director</c> of schools or charter school director of schools or charter school director with<00:18
• </c> for a school about what 3,400 kids. for a school about what 3,400 kids.
• It can work for one school, but it's not going to work for another school.
• Uh school.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 209, which would require schools seeking building aid for construction or reconstruction projects to use an owner’s project manager. The chair explained an amendment that would remove the bill’s requirement that the manager be engaged before application and instead revert to current law, while updating the project threshold from the older $1 million figure to a more current amount and clarifying that the manager’s role is to protect the project owner’s interests. Members asked about the cost of hiring a project manager over several years before a project is funded, the 1.5% fee in rule, and whether the rules already define the manager’s duties. The chair said the amendment addressed those concerns by leaving the timing to current law and relying on existing administrative rules for qualifications and responsibilities. The committee then voted 18-0 to adopt the amendment and 18-0 to recommend SB 209 OTPA, placing it on the consent calendar. The committee then moved to SB 99, which concerns allowing students enrolled in career and technical education programs at receiving comprehensive high schools to take additional academic courses there. The chair said the bill was intended to make it easier for students to access CTE without being blocked by scheduling conflicts in their sending schools, and to clarify how agreements between sending and receiving districts would work. He described concerns about the bill’s cost formula, transportation, part-time versus full-time status, and whether the proposal could unintentionally create open-enrollment or athletic-transfer issues. He said the amendment would mirror existing treatment for homeschool and charter school students, use a familiar funding model, and limit participation to students already enrolled in one or more CTE classes at the receiving school. The chair also emphasized that comprehensive high schools already have a statutory definition and that the bill would help more students participate in CTE, which he said currently reaches only a relatively small share of students statewide. He noted that transportation would be covered only when a CTE bus is available, otherwise students would be responsible for arranging travel as under current practice. After brief discussion, the committee voted 18-0 to adopt the amendment and 18-0 to recommend SB 99 OTPA, also placing it on the consent calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• This complex method of determining school funding has meant that school district financial managers cannot
• Finally, we reviewed the funding of three school districts by recalculating their 2023–24 school year
• Legislative amendments to school funding formulas, such as changes to school data reporting requirements
• But then each individual school—because you said that the money is distributed directly to the schools—I
• If, for example, a school district needs to resubmit a report or resubmit data, the school district will

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The committee heard a State Auditor’s Office performance audit on OSPI’s school apportionment system, which distributes K-12 funding to districts. Auditors said the system and its underlying 2008-era infrastructure are outdated, unstable, inefficient, and at high risk of errors or failure. They also found weak controls over data input, documentation, oversight, and monitoring, with heavy reliance on a small number of staff and vendor knowledge. In limited testing of three districts, the system calculated 2023–24 funding correctly, but auditors identified small discrepancies between state budget inputs and underlying statutory language and said broader system risks remain unresolved. JLARC members asked about the scope of the district testing, whether smaller districts face greater risk, the meaning of the funding discrepancies, and whether the system could support a future change to a simpler per-student funding formula. Auditors said the discrepancies were small but could compound into millions statewide, and that the audit did not evaluate broader policy questions or alternative system owners. They recommended OSPI modernize or replace the system and address current control weaknesses while the new platform is developed. OSPI officials largely agreed that the current platform needs replacement and said a feasibility study completed in 2024 found the system at catastrophic risk of failure. They clarified that the Legislature had approved up to $16 million in the state IT pool for the project, but that funding is released through gated oversight and not all of it had yet been appropriated for the current biennium. OSPI disputed the auditor’s characterization of some rounding and budget-law issues, saying the calculations were consistent with agency rules and legislative inputs, and explained that some manual workarounds are used to handle newer statutory requirements. One member of the public testified in support of modernizing the system and strengthening controls. The committee then adjourned.