Transcript Highlights:

• Think of the opportunities for public schools to attract students in a period of declining enrollment
• <02:20:27.160> enrollment,<02:20:28.160> especially<02:20:28.720> when of declining
• enrollment, especially when of declining enrollment, especially when innovation<02:20:30.000> school
• where they do have open enrollment. where they do have open enrollment.
• Certainly, we have a lot of districts over the last 20 or 25 years have seen declining enrollment, so

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So what we've seen, particularly up north, is significantly declining enrollments, which has led to multiple
• So what we've seen, particularly up north, is significantly declining enrollments, which has led to multiple
• We're one of nine states that will not experience the decline in high school graduates.
• the Brevard County school system, which my daughter was a dual enrollment student, so I sort of like
• I want to stick to the dual enrollment.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education heard a presentation from the Governor’s Office on the proposed education budget, which totals $32.5 billion overall and includes no tuition or fee increases for Florida residents. Officials highlighted major funding for financial aid and scholarships, including Bright Futures, Benacquisto, veteran-related scholarships, EASE, Open Door, law enforcement/first responder programs, and workforce initiatives. They also emphasized increases for workforce education, Florida College System operations, nursing pipeline and line funds, and university operations, performance funding, and faculty recruitment and retention. Committee members asked questions about the Ocoee Scholarship, the proposed post-secondary Guardian program, and how university recruitment and retention funds would be used; officials said the Ocoee Scholarship remains funded at current levels, the Guardian program would offer flexible campus safety options, and the university funds would be distributed to institutions for faculty recruitment and retention without additional directives. The committee then heard from a series of appointees and reappointees to boards of trustees for state colleges and universities, who described their backgrounds and priorities. Testimony consistently focused on affordability, workforce alignment, nursing and allied health programs, dual enrollment, adult learners, and local economic needs. Several trustees highlighted strong nursing NCLEX pass rates, expansion of campuses or programs, and efforts to tailor education to regional workforce demands such as health care, construction, law enforcement, aviation, and hospitality. One appointee from Miami-Dade College emphasized helping adult students return and complete degrees by easing credit transfer and admissions barriers. After hearing from the appointees, the committee took up the full slate of confirmations as a block. A motion was made and the roll was called; the confirmations were approved favorably, with members voting yes and no opposition recorded. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you look at enrollment in the state over the past 15 years, we've had a significant period of declining
• All that changed, however, in 2025, where we saw a one percentage point year-over-year decline in enrollment
• <01:42:25.920> All<01:42:26.080> that period of declining enrollment.
• All that period of declining enrollment.
• <01:42:35.280> in point year-over-year decline in point year-over-year decline in enrollment

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, and enroll in the program.
• There was a decline.
• There was a decline.
• There was a decline. It predating me. There was a decline.
• There was a decline.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its September 24 meeting after a motion and second. It then heard a presentation from New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Secretary Elizabeth Gragensky on that state’s early childhood system and planned universal child care rollout. She described how New Mexico consolidated multiple prenatal-to-age-five programs into a cabinet-level department, expanded pre-K to a longer day, and uses a cost model to set reimbursement rates intended to cover true provider costs, including wages, benefits, occupancy, food, and reserves. She also said the state created an Early Childhood Trust Fund and secured a constitutional amendment to dedicate 0.60% of the land grant permanent fund to early care and education, with the department’s budget growing from about $400 million in 2021 to just under $1 billion this year. Gragensky said families can begin applying for universal child care on November 1, with participation voluntary for both families and providers. She reported that New Mexico is aiming to expand capacity by adding 1,000 registered home providers, 120 group homes, and about 55 more centers, supported in part by a $13 million low-interest loan fund and a request for an additional $20 million. She said the state has seen growth in early childhood professionals, including a 64% increase over the last three to four years, and pointed to reported outcomes such as a 21% increase in literacy and a 75% kindergarten readiness rate, while noting that some measures are new and baseline comparisons are still being developed. Members asked about the funding sources, provider profitability, workforce development, and measurable outcomes. Gragensky said the program is designed to support provider sustainability through rates tied to true cost and includes allowances for sick leave, vacation, benefits, and reserves. She also said maternal labor force participation is 10% higher than the national rate and attributed that in part to child care access. The committee then moved to a separate presentation by Department for Community Based Services Commissioner Lisa Dennis and Division of Family Support Director Roger McCann on anticipated cuts to TANF and SNAP, beginning with an overview of TANF as a federal block grant with a fixed annual Kentucky allocation of about $180.7 million.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's a call to them with declining enrollment, with special ed, and where things are at and those
• And it's a call to them with declining enrollment, with special ed, and where things are at and those
• And it's a call to them with declining enrollment, with special ed, and where things are at and those
• And it's a call to them with declining enrollment, with special ed, and where things are at and those
• And it's a call to them with declining enrollment, with special ed, and where things are at and those

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• That is a decline based on the corporate income taxes, which had slightly higher refunds than expected
• enrollment of 2.5%, they would see no loss in funding.
• And so even if they lose students, we provide declining enrollment funding and we provide other sources
• Overall, is the public school enrollment increasing in Arkansas or decreasing?
• Yeah, there was a decrease overall in the public school enrollment this year. Okay. Thank you.

Summary: The Arkansas Legislative Council meeting began with approval of the December 2025 minutes and a presentation from the Bureau of Legislative Research on the December revenue report. Dr. Carlos Silva said gross collections were about $4.02 billion, up slightly from the prior year, and net available for distribution was also above last year but down modestly from the previous month because of higher-than-expected corporate income tax refunds. Members asked about corporate tax trends, tariffs, and inflation, and Silva said it was too early to call the corporate decline a trend and that tariff effects would likely show up mainly in sales tax collections. The council then adopted several subcommittee reports, including the Executive Committee Subcommittee, Administrative Rules, Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities, Occupational Licensing Review, PEER, Review, State Insurance Program Oversight, and Personnel. The PEER report drew the most debate because of a Department of Agriculture grant tied to Perry County and Central Arkansas Water; members discussed whether removing the Perry County portion would affect the grant’s competitiveness, and the report was ultimately adopted with the item included. The Review Subcommittee also heard questions about a BDO contract for the rural health transformation program, with DFA explaining that the contractor would manage the program while state agencies would make funding decisions consistent with the state’s application. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Education Freedom Account appropriation tied to LEARNS. Senators and representatives debated whether the program helps families or diverts money from public schools, with supporters arguing it funds students and choice and opponents arguing it is costly, vulnerable to fraud, and harms public school funding. Department of Education officials said roughly 28,000 private school students and 17,500 homeschool students were participating, that EFA students must submit standardized tests annually, and that the requested $32 million was to cover existing participants. After multiple substitute motions and extended debate, the body rejected a motion to strip out the $32 million and then adopted the report and related motions. The meeting ended after routine approvals of additional agency items and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We see a pretty large decline from 2018-19 to 2020-21. Fourth grade.
• So we see an 18% decline, which is crazy significant, right?
• That's our total enrollment, 7,700.
• When you apply it against the total enrollment, you get 679.
• At the same time, our overall district saw a decrease in enrollment from 7,471 down to 7,301.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the March 4, 2026 minutes, and received a lengthy Department of Public Instruction presentation from Stanley Schauer Jr. on North Dakota student performance data in math and ELA, with comparisons between students with disabilities and students without disabilities. Schauer explained the assessment systems used, the 1% alternate assessment cap for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, the absence of 2019-20 data due to the pandemic, and how state standards are set by North Dakota educators. Members asked about cohort trends, the role of alternate assessments, grade-level patterns, and whether the state should focus more on reducing the novice category than on moving students from approaching to proficient. Schauer also discussed the new NDA Plus assessment, the state’s planned growth model, and the possibility of future breakdowns by disability category or by schools using science-of-math approaches. Special education educators testified that students with disabilities continued to receive services during COVID because of FAPE obligations, which likely helped limit learning loss, and emphasized that IEP teams focus on individual growth rather than only proficiency buckets. Committee members then shifted to special education funding and possible funding models. Brandon Bombach of Grand Forks Public Schools presented on the state aid formula, focusing on the special education weighting factor and arguing that the current formula does not adequately respond to growing student needs because it counts enrollment but does not adjust when the number of students with IEPs rises. He used examples to show that a district can have the same enrollment and receive the same weighting even if the number of students needing services increases. Members discussed whether the formula should be tied more closely to actual need and accountability, and the chair indicated that the committee would continue gathering data and ideas for a later meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• drastic growth and improvement that we can indicate there in our program completers and program Enrollments
• We can see we're at a record number of K-1w2 students enrolled in career tech programs.
• You can see what the enrollments look like there.
• There was some confusion, and there is still some confusion that all of our enrollments are full-time
• If it's industry-specific, that twenty-24, 1,000 enrollments.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We see a pretty large decline from 2018-19 to 2020-21.
• So we see an 18% decline, which is crazy significant, right?
• That's our total enrollment, 7,700.
• When you apply it against the total enrollment, you get 679.
• At the same time, our overall district saw a decrease in enrollment from 7,471 down to 7,301.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um enrollment more than anything else.
• <01:07:50.559> um<01:07:50.640> you enroll in the in the program. um you enroll in
• some that are not actually enrolled?
• some that are not actually enrolled?
• some that are not actually enrolled?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to begin work on HB 742, which would require catastrophic special education aid to be drawn from the education trust fund, and more broadly to study special education aid/differentiated aid and related costing issues. The chair said the group was starting early because the issue has been debated for years without resolution, local districts are being forced to absorb prorated costs, and the committee wants to send the Department of Education and HHS Medicaid a clear request for data and recommendations before retained bills return in the fall. A committee clerk was also selected, with Representative Reverend volunteering to take notes for the meeting. Members reviewed background materials on special education enrollment, high-cost students, and possible funding formulas, including data on students in high-cost brackets and prior ideas such as category-based funding and caseload-based approaches. The chair also referenced research on other states, including Arkansas, which uses a different special education funding structure and audits IEPs. The committee emphasized that it was focused on the funding mechanics and costs, not on questioning whether services should be provided. Henry Lipman of HHS explained how Medicaid-to-schools currently works in New Hampshire. He said 172 school districts participate, but utilization dropped during the pandemic and remains below historical levels, in part because districts need the capacity to bill Medicaid. Under the current system, schools receive reimbursement based on half of the Medicaid fee schedule, with the school district effectively providing the state share. He said the federal government is requiring a shift by July 1, 2026, to a true certified public expenditure model based on actual costs, which should allow schools to recover 50% of their true costs and some administrative overhead. The department has received a roughly $2.5 million grant to hire a vendor and support districts through the transition, and an RFP and stakeholder meetings are underway. Committee members asked about how costs would be determined, whether the new system would use actual district-specific costs rather than averages, and how the department would support districts that do not currently participate. Lipman said the cost model would be based on each district’s own reasonable costs, subject to audit standards, and that the department expects to provide templates and technical assistance through the vendor because its staff is limited. He also said about one in four New Hampshire children are enrolled in Medicaid, that child enrollment has been relatively stable, and that continuous coverage rules should reduce churn. No votes or formal actions on HB 742 were taken during the meeting beyond organizing the subcommittee and beginning testimony and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• And here in education, we also know the statistics that we also have a decline in FAFSA and FAFSA enrollments
• <01:02:10.720> in that we also have we have a decline in that we also have we have a decline
• in FASA<01:02:11.839> and<01:02:11.920> FASA<01:02:12.400> enrolles.
• We also have a FASA and FASA enrolles.
• decline in Kentucky students decline in Kentucky students particularly<01:02:16.160> when

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met to hear updates from Kentucky public universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System on compliance with House Bill 4, which restricts DEI-related activities and requires institutional and viewpoint neutrality. The chair emphasized that the hearing should focus on both compliance and the financial effects of the law. Eastern Kentucky University said its board adopted a House Bill 4 compliance resolution and an institutional neutrality policy. KCTCS reported systemwide reviews of programs, websites, scholarships, personnel, and admissions language, along with board actions removing a cultural competency course requirement, adopting institutional neutrality, and certifying compliance. KCTCS said about $2.5 million annually had been reallocated to other needs, and that no personnel were eliminated, though some roles were reassigned and DEI-related offices closed. Kentucky State University said it had already dissolved DEI offices before the bill passed, ended DEI-specific training, revised policies and gift acceptance rules, adopted a viewpoint neutrality policy, and was conducting ongoing reviews of programs, job descriptions, and web content. KSU said it had achieved substantial compliance, expected full operational integration by August 1, and had not terminated staff or closed academic programs because of the law. In response to questions, KSU said it was broadening outreach to all students rather than targeting specific populations and that its prior diversity finding was tied to not meeting a diversity quota. Morehead State University said it had no DEI office before House Bill 4, amended its non-discrimination statement to include political and social viewpoint neutrality and condemnation of religious and ethnic discrimination, and remained focused on serving its largely low-income student body. Murray State University reported reviewing scholarships, expenditures, training, and academic programs to ensure no differential treatment or indoctrination, revising its neutrality policy, and updating non-discrimination posters and training. When asked about a statement that DEI would “look different,” the university said it meant student support services would continue in a different form. Northern Kentucky University said it dissolved its diversity office and chief diversity officer position in 2024, reviewed programs, events, scholarships, and employee affinity groups, adopted a statement on intellectual diversity and viewpoint neutrality, and reviewed about 2,000 courses for compliance. NKU also said its new Center for Belonging would focus on first-generation and commuter students rather than rebrand prior DEI efforts. The University of Kentucky began its presentation by describing earlier changes made in August 2024, including disbanding its office of institutional diversity, removing diversity statements and mandatory training, adopting institutional neutrality, and ending race-based consideration in admissions and scholarships; the transcript cuts off before the rest of UK’s testimony and any committee votes or formal actions beyond receiving the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• precipitate our decline? precipitate our decline?
• enrollment each year since 2020. enrollment each year since 2020.
• than 2400 student athletes are enrolled than 2400 student athletes are enrolled in<00:49:42.960>
• While I will say mentioned dual enrollment, we allow our adult learners also to dual enroll.
• <00:55:46.880> mean students enrolled in dual enroll I mean students enrolled in dual enroll

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As the analysis notes, we already have a decline in teen pregnancies, but this will help with the STIs
• Latino and English learner youth who enroll in college at lower rates and face barriers to completing
• While 62% of high school graduates enroll in college within a year, only 34% of Californians hold at
• Additionally, our system is failing to address the state's declining workforce and trade industries.
• Additionally, our system is failing to address the state's declining workforce and trade industries,

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• FLORIDA'S PASS RATE DECLINED FROM QUARTER ONE TO QUARTER TO BE FORESEEN THE INCREASE FROM 1:45 QUARTER
• WE ARE SEEING A STEADY DECLINE FROM QUARTER ONE TO QUARTER THREE WITH OUR NCLEX TEST TAKERS.
• WHEN WE LOOK NEXT AT OUR ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS, WE ARE SEEING A MORE STEEP DECLINE FROM QUARTER ONE
• WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT QUARTER TO DATA I CAN TELL YOU THAT TYPICALLY WHEN NURSING EDUCATION PROGRAMS ENROLL
• WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF SEATS, ADMISSIONS AND ENROLLMENT. RETENTION AND GRADUATION.

Transcript Highlights:

• But if it does not qualify for enrollment in the CRP, then quite frankly it should be valued as normal
• <00:32:14.519> in<00:32:14.639> the not qualify for uh enrollment in the not qualify
• And they do have some real-world examples to cite in which landowners have declined to participate in
• <00:42:24.079> to owner land owners have declined to owner land owners have declined to participate
• in an agricultural tax are enrolled in an agricultural tax incentive<00:51:39.520> program<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have a cap on our enrollment.
• Today we have approximately 40 high school students enrolled in our HHP pathway, with a projected enrollment
• That is a percentage that has declined significantly since 2011.
• Real quick, for dual enrollment, we have seen our numbers, if not double, almost triple in dual enrollment
• to increase the number of students that have been dual enrolled at FAMU DRS.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education Postsecondary met to receive an update from Florida developmental research lab schools on articulated health care programs created under the Live Healthy initiative and Senate Bill 76. Chair Calatayud opened the meeting, confirmed a quorum, and heard presentations from P.K. Young/University of Florida, Florida State University Schools, FAMU Developmental Research School, and Florida Atlantic University Laboratory School. Each school described efforts to build K-12-to-postsecondary health care pathways, expand dual enrollment and industry certifications, and share replicable curriculum models with other districts. FSU Schools highlighted its HERO program, including CNA and food manager certifications, dual enrollment growth, reserve seating at colleges, and a paid internship with the Department of Health tied to emergency shelter operations. P.K. Young described its Healthy Lives Blueprint, which combines K-8 wellness experiences, a new high school health and human performance pathway, AP and science course expansion, a planned gymnasium redesign, and partnerships with Santa Fe College and UF. FAMU DRS reported growing dual enrollment, partnerships with FAMU, Tallahassee State, and Lively, and a goal of serving at least 100 students and 40 staff through health career exposure, certifications, and AA/AS pathways. FAU Lab School described a more advanced model that integrates elementary through high school research and health science experiences, including biotechnology, bioengineering, and partnerships with health and research institutions. The school reported 87 peer-reviewed student publications, more than $350,000 in student grants, six patents, and pipelines into FAU’s medical and nursing programs, including a Med Direct pathway and a National Merit Scholar pipeline. Committee members asked about student readiness for nursing programs, dual enrollment, articulation with state colleges, and how the lab school models could be disseminated statewide. The meeting concluded with praise for the programs and a motion by Senator Fine to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, on slide five, just despite this inequality, child poverty has declined.
• That is a small decline, but it is the ninth fastest decline in the United States.
• There was a decline of 3% for individuals under 100% of the federal poverty level.
• There was also a much more significant decline in registered homes.
• eligibility and enrollment.

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not decline over time. stable. It does not decline over time.
• The fund value can certainly decline.
• The fund value can certainly decline. Uh The fund value can certainly decline.
• enrollment or other compensatory funding factors.
• enrollment or other compensatory funding factors.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We see a pretty large decline from 2018-19 to 2020-21. Fourth grade.
• So we see an 18% decline, which is crazy significant, right?
• That's our total enrollment, 7,700.
• When you apply it against the total enrollment, you get 679.
• , the overall enrollment.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then received a lengthy DPI presentation from Stanley Schauer on statewide reading and math assessment data for students with and without disabilities. He explained the assessment systems used over time, the absence of 2019-20 data, and how North Dakota’s standards are set by educators. Members asked about alternate assessments, cohort trends, the apparent drop in proficiency in higher grades, and the new NDA+ assessment. Schauer emphasized that the biggest pattern in the data was the relative stability of students with disabilities, the post-pandemic drop and partial recovery, and the need to focus on reducing the novice category. He also said the state plans to revisit high school standard setting and that future data could be broken out by program, disability category, and schools using science-of-math or other initiatives. Public testimony from special education staff suggested that the flat performance of students with disabilities during COVID likely reflected continued services and intensive supports, and committee members discussed whether the current disparity goal is realistic and whether growth measures would be more useful than simple proficiency buckets. After the presentation, the committee took a short break and then moved into discussion of special education funding models. Chair Richter said members should contact Schauer directly with ideas for additional data views and noted that the committee would continue its work on funding and possible model changes. Brandon Bomback of Grand Forks Public Schools began a presentation arguing that the special education funding formula, especially the weighting factor, should be reconsidered if the committee wants a system that better reflects accountability and student needs. He said his comments were based on the perspective of a larger district and focused on the special education weighting factor rather than other parts of the formula. The remainder of his presentation was not included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• the entire extra K through 12 enrollment.
• The concern over the current enrollment versus the projected enrollment led to discussions about other
• projects with similar issues with declining enrollment. versus the projected enrollment led to discussions
• about other projects with similar issues with declining enrollment.
• We'll see a better enrollment trend. Mr.