Transcript Highlights:

• And the $15 million to expand after-school programs, all of which help schools meet urgent student needs
• I'm in Chula Vista Elementary School District, I go to my school district.
• Are these programs only in schools at schools including students or?
• the school that we've got enough density if you will at the school that qualify for the program?
• Correct, so for the school is for the National School Lunch Program we only require schools don't meet

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• While in another school district, ...students in another school district within the same county are cutting
• That school district employs 1,300 employees. My school district employs 950.
• districts and charter schools.
• funding school districts.
• I'm familiar with the Irvine Unified School District, where I served as a school board member.

Committee: Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• is for public schools.
• County School District.
• There are three schools that exist within a Mountain View school district.
• out of the three schools that make up the school district.
• , and forward that school to the number of students that are at those three different schools.

Committee: All JBC-SPECIAL LANGUAGE

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> it's already being offered in schools it's already being offered in schools the<00:14:39.440><c>
• </c> shows one school district in 171 school shows one school district in 171 school districts<00:15:
• He then said he wanted to ask more about the interactions within a school and a school district, and
• He then said he wanted to ask more about the interactions within a school and a school district, and
• Representative Fleming said he wanted to ask more about the interactions within a school and a school

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several education bills and first received a presentation from Paige Cash of Kentucky FFA/Kentucky Association for Career and Technical Education. She described the reach of CTE in Kentucky, saying more than 143,000 secondary students are enrolled in CTE courses, and highlighted work-based learning, dual credit, industry certifications, and student organizations such as FFA, DECA, FCCLA, HOSA, TSA, and SkillsUSA. She said CTE funding has helped update lab equipment, support teacher training, fund field trips, and expand participation in career and technical student organizations. Representative Wilson presented House Bill 132, which would address home hospital instruction reimbursement in cases involving short stays, particularly mental health placements that are often under five days. He said schools continue providing instruction even when they are no longer reimbursed under current rules. The committee advanced the bill unanimously after a motion and second, with the measure passing with an expression of opinion that it should pass. The committee then heard House Bill 272 on dyslexia, sponsored by Representative Heavrin. The bill would require KDE to annually update the dyslexia toolkit, require local boards to adopt policies for identifying and assisting K-3 students with dyslexia, require KDE to report district implementation data to LRC, and require teacher preparation programs to include dyslexia instruction. Members discussed whether the bill would require teacher diagnoses, how it would interact with existing IEP/504 and RTI processes, and concerns about added reporting and district burden. Supporters said many students are falling through the cracks and that earlier identification is needed; Representative Willner noted a shortage of school psychologists. The committee passed HB 272 with a motion and second, though several members voted pass and explained concerns about reporting burdens, red tape, and district costs. Finally, the committee began hearing House Bill 193, a dual credit cleanup bill presented by Joe Carol Ellis of KHEAA. She said the bill would consolidate the statutes governing general education dual credit and CTE/work-ready dual credit scholarships to match current funding practice and reduce confusion for K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions. The presentation was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• It includes requiring school districts and charter schools to report students enrolled in distance education
• So essentially, how many students were in school on the 40th day of school?
• About charter schools, but what we're talking about right now is only traditional public schools.
• the school year.”
• school... ...language starting at line 14, page 20, a school district or charter school that offers

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 253, a committee substitute dealing with virtual and distance learning programs and school funding. Sponsors and staff explained that the substitute removed several earlier restrictions on virtual education, including residency requirements, the 10% enrollment cap, the ban on K-5 distance programs, and the moratorium on new enrollments. It also changed the State Cyber Academy Act to the Distance Learning Act, added reporting and evaluation requirements for districts and charter schools, and allowed the Public Education Department to withhold funding if programs are out of compliance. Members discussed concerns about impacts on rural districts, charter schools, and programs like Mosquero and the New Mexico Communications Academy, as well as the temporary funding fix for Gallup Public Schools, which was amended to average prior-year and current-year enrollment rather than use current-year membership alone. Public testimony on HB 253 was largely supportive, with school leaders and education organizations backing the amendment and the broader substitute while noting that more work may be needed on oversight and funding formulas. Committee members then debated the bill’s temporary provisions, the study requirement, and whether the changes would adequately address the Gallup funding issue and broader virtual-learning accountability. The committee adopted the amendment and then gave the House Appropriations and Finance Committee substitute for HB 253 a do pass recommendation. The committee then heard House Bill 153, a voluntary industrial decarbonization package that combines an Environmental Product Declaration grant program, a rebate or incentive program for lower-carbon building materials, and production tax credits and capital grants for eligible industrial products. Members asked detailed questions about environmental product declarations, hydrogen, anti-donation concerns, funding sources, and whether the bill would support sawmills, engineered wood, biofuels, and forest-thinning-related industries. Supporters from the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Clean Air Task Force testified that the bill would encourage innovation, attract private investment, and reduce emissions without imposing mandates. The committee adopted the substitute and then voted do pass on the bill, with Representative Brown noted in opposition. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 255, which consolidates public safety workforce funding into a single competitive fund for recruitment, retention, and professional development in law enforcement, firefighting, corrections, and public attorney offices. Testimony from counties, the chamber, AFSCME, and State Police supported the measure as a targeted response to staffing shortages and public safety vacancies. The committee took no extended debate and approved HB 255 with a do pass recommendation. The meeting ended with notice that the committee would meet again the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• This complex method of determining school funding has meant that school district financial managers cannot
• And finally, we reviewed the funding of three school districts by recalculating their 2023-24 school
• 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
• schools every month.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee subcommittee heard a State Auditor’s Office performance audit on the accuracy and reliability of OSPI’s school apportionment system. Auditors said the system, which calculates and distributes K-12 funding using multiple feeder systems and a core apportionment engine, is outdated, unstable, inefficient, and at high risk of failure. They reported weak controls over data input, documentation, oversight, and staffing, and said OSPI relies heavily on manual workarounds, a few knowledgeable staff, and vendor support. In limited testing of three districts, the auditors found the system calculated funding correctly for the 2023-24 school year, but they identified nine small input discrepancies tied to differences between budget materials and state law, which they said could compound into larger dollar amounts. The auditors recommended replacing or modernizing the system and noted that delays in doing so prolong risk. OSPI largely agreed that the current platform needs replacement and said it has been working toward a new system for years. Agency officials clarified that the Legislature requested a feasibility study in 2022, that the study found the system at risk of catastrophic failure, and that funding for a replacement is now in the state IT pool subject to OCIO/OFM gate reviews. OSPI disputed the audit’s characterization of the rounding and budget-law discrepancies, saying the issue was an agency rule and implementation choice, not an error that caused under- or over-allocation. Officials also said the current system is too old to easily absorb future formula changes, but that the planned replacement should be flexible enough to handle a new funding model if the Legislature adopts one. Committee members asked about the amount and timing of the $16 million project funding, whether smaller districts face greater risk, how many times data is entered, and whether the funding formula should be simplified. Auditors and OSPI both emphasized that formula simplification is a policy question for the Legislature, not the audit. Public testimony came from one online witness, who urged full implementation of the audit recommendations and modernization of the system. The subcommittee took no formal vote and adjourned after the presentations and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• So a student is eligible if they're enrolled in a school or charter school that is not entirely virtual
• The student is enrolled in an Idaho school district or public charter school that is not entirely virtual
• Would affect Emmett School District.
• At the middle school level, this is critical.
• I serve as superintendent of Gray School District.

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 940, which revises Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) policy and funding. Sponsors Rep. Doug Pickett and Rep. Sonia Galavis walked through the bill’s intent: to preserve IDLA as a gap-filling resource for Idaho students while narrowing access to areas such as credit recovery, dual credit, rural course offerings, graduation-required courses, and overload courses. They also explained provisions limiting K-5/LaunchPad use, excluding private school reimbursement, addressing custom sections, setting course fees, and tying eligibility to students enrolled in schools that are not entirely virtual. The sponsors said the bill’s fiscal note reflects a roughly $13.4 million reduction driven by multiple policy changes, including private school enrollment, driver’s ed, LaunchPad, online-only enrollment, custom sections, and fee offsets. Testimony was split. School administrators and IDLA supporters, including Andy Grover, Craig Woods, Dr. Jeff Simmons, Dr. Jason Moss, Jeff Gee, Catherine Larson, and Quinn Perry, argued that the amendments would sharply reduce access, especially in rural districts, and would make it harder to staff required and elective courses, recover credits, and offer dual credit or other opportunities. They said the custom-section limits and the “not entirely virtual” language would create administrative burdens and restrict flexibility, and several noted that the program is already being cut significantly. Supporters of the bill as written said it is a workable compromise that addresses concerns about custom sections and funding while preserving IDLA’s core mission. Committee members questioned the sponsors and witnesses about the meaning of “not entirely virtual,” the treatment of schools like GEMP Online, how the fee caps work, and how the fiscal note was calculated. After testimony, Senator Cook moved to send House Bill 940 to the Senate floor with a due pass recommendation. Senators Carlson and Zito opposed the motion, saying the bill should be amended or that the cuts are too severe, while Senator Ward-Engelking supported the motion despite concerns about the reductions, citing even more problematic intent language in the related appropriation bill. The motion passed, and the bill was sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation; Senators Carlson and Zito were recorded as voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• Francis High School.
• Francis High School.
• Francis High School.
• Francis High School.
• </c> work right out of high school. work right out of high school.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 1791 was presented as a scholarship/grant program for students in postsecondary technical or career programs offered through their high schools. Representative Scott and Representative Lawrence described it as a way to help students transition into careers or further education by covering costs such as tools, boots, books, and other work-related expenses. The chair noted the bill would be laid over, with limited time for testimony because of a full agenda. Testimony strongly supported the bill. Steve Collina of the Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association said manufacturing is a major Minnesota industry and that the bill fills a gap by supporting K-12 career pathways; he emphasized the proposal would not cost the state or taxpayers. Trevor Quennell, a Centennial High School graduate now at Dunwoody College, said the bill would have eased the burden of buying expensive tools and balancing work, school, and transportation. Eric Trost, an instructor at St. Francis High School, explained that Saints Manufacturing is a student-run, elective business-style program that teaches estimating, quoting, logistics, welding, machining, and employability skills, and he said the grant portion is especially important because many students go directly into the workforce. Naomi Brasky, a St. Francis student and Army National Guard enlistee, said the program has given her real-world problem-solving and communication experience and that grants would help cover costs not included in tuition. Members responded positively, with one noting broader trends away from four-year college and calling the bill common sense. In closing, Representative Lorentzen credited instructor Eric Trost for originating the idea and thanked an audience member, Mr. Yost, for supporting the program. The chair then laid House File 1791 over.

Transcript Highlights:

• program in the schools could potentially be carved out as a school function.
• A hundred ninety-nine school districts or a hundred ninety-nine schools?
• Yeah, the school... ...for the school nutrition program versus the farm-to-school program.
• It's school staff capacity, school infrastructure, and then truly school connection to farms.
• to School Program.

Summary: The meeting began with a lengthy opening discussion with Secretary Karen Ross of the Department of Food and Agriculture, who reviewed the department’s proposed budget, emphasized California agriculture’s record output, and highlighted major priorities including climate-smart agriculture, groundwater management, local food systems, farm-to-school, food hubs, invasive pest prevention, bird flu response, and food safety. She also warned about federal budget cuts, especially at USDA and FDA, and discussed market access challenges abroad, rising input costs, labor shortages, and the need for automation and workforce training. Members raised questions about the future of Farm to School, the California Nutrition Incentive Program/Market Match, local food procurement, and how to better connect farmers to schools, food banks, and food hubs; Ross said the department had strong evidence the program benefits small farms and Title I schools and noted continued interest in building out local food infrastructure. The committee then took up item one on eliminating vacant positions at the Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, and Food and Agriculture. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that the Governor proposed eliminating 6,000 vacant positions statewide, with the Joint Legislative Budget Committee previously rejecting 650 of them, including 174 in these three departments. LAO and Finance said the vacancies represented a source of budget flexibility, but warned that eliminating them could create program impacts; LAO recommended retaining the special-funded positions at Fish and Wildlife and Food and Agriculture, while weighing the General Fund positions against other priorities. Finance argued the reductions were part of a broader budget-resiliency exercise and that departments could reclassify or shift vacancies to higher priorities. Members focused heavily on the practical impacts of the cuts. Assemblymember Petrie-Norris argued that Fish and Wildlife staffing shortages were already slowing permits needed for housing, clean energy, water, and transportation projects, and questioned the value of saving relatively small amounts of money. Fish and Wildlife officials said the department had prioritized mission-critical work and could still meet permitting obligations, but acknowledged limited-term staffing constraints. State Parks said the proposed ranger and maintenance cuts would not have immediate effects but could slow maintenance and eventually worsen deferred maintenance. Food and Agriculture said some of the eliminated positions supported early pest detection and eradication, but that the department believed it could still meet its mandate and reclassify positions if needed. The chair and several members signaled concern about the Fish and Wildlife and Parks cuts, while also noting the broader need for budget reductions. The committee then moved to item six, hearing an overview from the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. Staff described the office’s role in CEQA implementation and said the budget requests were baseline funding to maintain existing functions, including IT services and administrative/legislative support, rather than new programs. The chair asked the presenters to move quickly through background material so the committee could get to questions, and the item began with no votes taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a former educator, teacher, school administrator, and school board member.
• I have served on the education committees since... ...school administrator, school board member.
• school in the state.
• And so we have to think about rural schools, especially those smaller school districts.
• school in the state.

Committee: Senate Senate Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The Senate Education Committee heard SB 1009, which would expand Arizona’s high school CPR instruction requirements to include training on automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The sponsor, Sen. Kavanaugh, said the bill would simply add a short AED component to existing CPR programs, would not require schools to buy AEDs, and would improve student readiness to respond to sudden cardiac arrest. Supporters included the American Heart Association and several students, who argued that AED familiarity can save lives and that training should be part of school safety education. Opposition came from the Arizona Education Association, which argued the bill creates an unfunded mandate, could take away from core instructional time, and may require staff time and resources beyond what schools can absorb. The Arizona School Boards Association was neutral but raised concerns about funding, training personnel, and the impact on rural and smaller districts. Sen. Miranda also questioned whether the bill was truly zero-cost and requested a fiscal note, though she said she would vote yes pending more information. After discussion, the committee voted 5-2 to give SB 1009 a do-pass recommendation. Senators Dunn, Mesnard, Warner, and Anger voted yes, while Senators Diaz and Brown voted no; Sen. Miranda voted yes with reservations. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• . and BIE schools.
• or charter school.
• program in your school?
• For elementary schools, middle schools, charter schools, and private schools, they are required to comply
• by the 2028 school year.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have programs for kids that are going to four-year schools, two-year schools, apprenticeship programs
• to focus on our middle schools.
• Schools.
• This is not the actual school, but it is a rendering of what we feel like the school should look like
• And we can’t do it at the school.”

Committee: Joint Mobile County Legislation

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
• > and</c> 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><c> emotional</c><01:34:07.320><c>
• </c><01:35:26.600><c> um</c><01:35:26.880><c> a</c> 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><c> not</c><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:

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

Committee: Joint Education

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• schools?
• Representative Church. ...with Twin Falls and the school board, or, excuse me, the school administrators
• So would that apply to a very small school?
• If school districts decide that...
• If school districts decide they would like to have extra people in their schools, the new definition

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> years after she graduated high school. years after she graduated high school.
• As for cost to schools, my guess is most the time schools now have more than one person with.
• This isn't just middle school or high school, right?
• This isn't just middle school or high school, right?
• This isn't just middle school or high school, right?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• SCHOOLS.
• SCHOOL.
• ACCREDITED SCHOOLS SLASH PRIVATE SCHOOLS CORRECT? YES OR NO?
• NOT JUST OUR SCHOOLS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS INCLUDED. 90 PERCENT.
• I THINK IT VARIES FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL, BUT I'D BE WILLING TO BET GOOD MONEY ALMOST ALL OF THE SCHOOLS

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:10:36.560><c> district</c><00:10:36.880><c> that</c> Schools but uh any school district that Schools
• And so last school year, Kentucky schools served 54,000 EL students across 1,000 schools in 160 of our
• 171 school districts.
• </c> in 160 of our 171 school districts. in 160 of our 171 school districts.
• </c> public school administrators. public school administrators.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity met in September 2025, established a quorum, introduced new member Larry Forester, and approved the minutes from the August 26 meeting. The main presentation came from Warren County Public Schools Superintendent Rob Clayton and Assistant Superintendent Sarah Johnson, who discussed the district’s work serving English language learners and multilingual students, including immigrant and refugee families. They said Warren County now serves roughly 5,500 multilingual students out of about 19,000 total, representing about 92 languages and 90 countries, with 57 certified multilingual teachers, a GO Center, migrant and refugee advocates, and the state’s first international high school. The presenters emphasized that the district welcomes immigrant families and that students and parents generally value public education, but they described major challenges tied to accountability and funding. They explained that multilingual students are tested after one year in the system, even though many need more time to become proficient in English and grade-level standards, and they argued that current graduation-rate rules can unfairly penalize schools when transient students enroll briefly and then leave. They also said the cost of serving this population has risen sharply, with special revenue and especially general-fund spending increasing substantially over the past decade, prompting the district to reallocate resources from EL teacher assistants toward translation technology and additional certified staff. Committee members asked questions about how long-term multilingual students compare with the general student body and whether the district’s data show similar graduation outcomes. Clayton said he did not have the specific comparison data at hand but believed students who stay K-12 generally reach proficiency. He and Johnson asked legislators to consider giving students more time before accountability measures apply and to shift some graduation accountability from individual schools to the district level for highly transient populations, while still maintaining accountability. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• under the Medicaid to Schools program.
• School not be adolescent so Elementary School not be included<00:06:52.639><c> in</c><00:06:52.880><
• He sees a school psychologist.
• He sees a school psychologist.
• school we have also school it's not high school we have also pay<01:17:04.800><c> tuition</c><01:17:

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> legislation to bring hourly school legislation to bring hourly school workers<00:01:45.280><c> into
• </c> Project Cancellation and Hourly School Project Cancellation and Hourly School Worker<00:04:18.799
• The U in the typical small school district, I have 23 school districts in my district.
• In the typical small school district, I have 23 school districts in my district.
• </c><00:14:54.399><c> Am</c> 2829 school year in fiscal 29. Am 2829 school year in fiscal 29.

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all