Transcript Highlights:

• We are an agency that assists all 171 school districts with their unmet school facility needs across
• We are an agency that assists all 171 school districts with their unmet school facility needs across
• So we do give regular offers of assistance to school districts in the form of participation of debt service
• So we do give regular offers of assistance to school districts in the form of participation of debt service
• To participate yourself.

Summary: The committee heard capital plan presentations from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the Personnel Cabinet, and the School Facilities Construction Commission. The Justice Cabinet described its large portfolio of more than 900 facilities across the state and said decades of underfunded maintenance have created a backlog of repairs. Requested projects included a high-acuity mental health treatment facility for juvenile justice youth, two female detention centers to support the regional detention model, major corrections repairs and replacements, a new kitchen at Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex, a new dormitory at the Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women, completion of a new Eastern Kentucky prison, DOCJT training facility upgrades in Richmond and Madisonville, State Police radio system replacement and post construction, a combined Frankfort headquarters/Post 12 facility, and expanded crime lab and storage capacity. When asked about the high cost of the EKCC kitchen project, staff said construction inside an operating facility raises costs and that building a new adjacent kitchen would be more economical in the long run. The panel also asked about Fish and Wildlife officers training at DOCJT; staff said they do and that the training is funded through the CLEFT fund. The Justice Cabinet also said the recently enacted Senate Bill 4’s AI inventory and registry requirements would be part of its enterprise application and AI inventory system work. The Personnel Cabinet requested funding to replace CHRIS, the state’s human resources and payroll system, which supports payroll and benefits for about 48,000 employees and the Kentucky Employee Health Plan for roughly 192,000 members. Staff said the current SAP-based system went live in 2011, is approaching end of support in 2030, and has not received functionality enhancements since 2016. They said the replacement is estimated at $151 million, with most of the cost tied to professional services and software, and that the project would begin in July 2026, go live by July 2030, and require a stabilization period through 2032. In response to questions about outsourcing payroll or reusing existing systems, staff said the complexity of state HR, payroll, tax updates, and integrations with other agencies makes outsourcing or partial reuse impractical. The School Facilities Construction Commission introduced its role in helping all 171 school districts address unmet facility needs, focusing on core school facilities such as roofs and elementary buildings rather than athletic projects. No votes or formal actions were taken during the excerpted discussion; the meeting consisted of presentations, explanations of requested projects, and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are they meeting the needs of more rural schools, suburban schools?
• That doesn't mean that the desire is not there, as we can see by the participation we've had in the school
• schools that are under the Community Eligibility Provision... ...again, high-poverty schools—so schools
• the utilization by the schools that are intended, these high-poverty schools, the schools with need,
• schools, right?

Summary: The committee heard testimony on three education budget items: the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), differentiated assistance/statewide system of support, and universal school meals plus kitchen infrastructure grants. For ELOP, the Department of Finance described the Governor’s proposal to provide $4.7 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding and $62.4 million to set a minimum Tier 2 rate of $1,800 per pupil. The LAO recommended instead fixing the Tier 2 rate at $1,579, and committee members questioned how the rate was determined, how much funding is actually spent, and whether overlapping funding from ELOP, ACEs, and 21st Century programs is being tracked. CDE said ELOP is showing positive attendance and math outcomes, but some requested data will not be available until mid-2027; members also raised concerns about double-funding, transparency, and whether middle and high school students are being equitably served. On differentiated assistance, CCEE outlined the statewide system of support and the various tiers of universal, targeted, supplemental, and intensive assistance. Finance explained the Governor’s proposal to replace the current DA structure with a more stable universal and targeted assistance model, funded at $131.9 million ongoing, with a three-year support cycle aligned to LCAP and ESSA timelines and broader State Board authority to revise eligibility criteria. The LAO objected to considering the proposal before the State Board finalizes the new performance criteria, and committee members expressed concern that moving to a three-year cycle could delay support for LEAs that newly fall into need mid-cycle. There was also discussion about whether the proposal would weaken subgroup-based equity guardrails or give the State Board too much discretion over who qualifies for support. For school meals and kitchen infrastructure, Finance proposed $1.8 billion ongoing for universal meals and an additional $100 million ongoing plus $100 million one-time for a fourth round of kitchen infrastructure and training grants. The LAO recommended rejecting the new kitchen grant round because prior rounds are still being spent and the unmet need is not yet clear. CDE said prior investments have improved meal participation, efficiency, and menu variety, but many schools still lack the facilities for scratch cooking and face construction, electrical, and procurement barriers. Members asked for more data on how prior grants were used, which schools are benefiting, and whether funds could also support lower-cost food access strategies such as pantries, while noting federal restrictions on some meal-service innovations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Central San Joaquin Valley, a medical school that will be opening at UC Merced beginning in 2027 that
• students guaranteed admissions into a medical school for an area that struggles to be able to recruit
• In advance, I would like to thank our panelists and participants.
• I must speak to where I went to high school and the zip code that we were in, which was 93706.
• It's like what's happening in the school because that high school diploma, that's like your pathway.

Summary: The hearing focused on inclusive economic development in California’s Central Valley, with the chair describing prior state and federal investments in Fresno and the region, including Transformative Climate Communities funding, the Southwest Fresno Community College campus, affordable housing and infrastructure projects, medical education pathways, F3 Farm Food Future, and high-speed rail-related jobs. The chair emphasized that rural and historically disinvested communities often face complex application processes and limited technical capacity, and said the committee’s goal was to learn from successful local models and identify ways to better direct resources to communities that need them most. The first panel featured representatives from the Sierra Health Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, and UC Merced. Chet Hewitt argued that health and economic opportunity are inseparable and described Sierra Health’s economic development portfolio, including the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund, the Impact Investment Fund, and the Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI), which together support healthier workplaces, microbusiness financing, and nonprofit capacity. Jessica Kaksmarik said Irvine’s place-based grantmaking in inland regions aims to strengthen worker and community power, support community-led development, and expand equitable pathways to mobility, while stressing that philanthropy must partner with government because it cannot meet the scale of need alone. Dr. Manuel Pastor and Dr. Ed Flores both argued that inequality and extractive development weaken long-term growth, and that community organizations need both power-building and technical expertise to influence regional planning; Flores also described the Valley Seed project and high-road economic development models that link labor, climate, and community benefits. The second panel highlighted community-based programs and the effects of unstable funding. Yolanda Randalls described the Sweet Potato Project at West Fresno Family Resource Center, a youth agriculture and entrepreneurship program that combines hands-on farming, business training, and mental health support; she said participants improved from a 1.9 GPA to a 3.3 GPA and that the program is seeking long-term support as its funding nears expiration. Addie Carr of Neighborhood Industries described a second-chance employment model that provides job training, case management, literacy and life coaching, and small no-interest loans, and said CEMI helped the organization open a second store and create more jobs. Maria Redoubt Orozco of Community Alliance with Family Farmers said small farmers are central to the Valley’s economy but face land, water, climate, and market barriers, and warned that federal cuts to programs like Local Food Purchasing Assistance threaten local food systems. Daniela Rodriguez of Immigrants Rising described entrepreneurship and technical assistance for undocumented and mixed-status entrepreneurs, including the SEED initiative, and said policy uncertainty and access-to-capital barriers continue to constrain immigrant economic mobility. In closing discussion, panelists repeatedly called for longer-term, braided, and flexible funding rather than one-time grants, and the chair noted the need to continue supporting community-defined practices and public-private partnerships.

Transcript Highlights:

• Holman, when asked about where local law enforcement will participate with ICE, he said schools are absolutely
• , and they must participate.
• So you can have maximum participation, but zero participation at the same rate.
• place in those public schools.
• When I came out of school, I worked three jobs and I put myself through nursing school.

Summary: The Senate opened with a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the reading of an amended joint proclamation expanding the Legislature’s immigration agenda. The proclamation added items calling for financial penalties for government officials, enhanced criminal penalties for offenses committed by illegal aliens, and programs and appropriations to support law enforcement in enforcing federal immigration law. The chamber then took up the special order calendar, beginning with Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 2B, the immigration bill. Most of the meeting was devoted to debate and questions on the strike-all amendment to SB 2B. Sponsor Senator Gruters described the bill as a broad immigration enforcement package aligned with President Trump’s agenda. He said it would require greater cooperation with federal immigration authorities, strengthen participation in the 287(g) program, create a chief immigration officer and council, authorize financial penalties for noncompliance, provide bonuses for officers assisting ICE, and direct information-sharing with federal agencies. He also said the bill would bar DHSMV from issuing licenses or ID cards to unauthorized aliens and would end in-state tuition waivers for undocumented students. Senators Polsky, Pizzo, Smith, Jones, Berman, Osgood, and others questioned the scope of the bill, whether it would affect schools, churches, cities, nonprofits, and green-card holders, and how the 287(g) provisions would work in practice. Gruters repeatedly said the operational focus was on jails and detention facilities, not street-level enforcement. A major point of controversy was the bill’s proposed mandatory death penalty for unauthorized aliens convicted of certain capital offenses. Senator Fine said the covered crimes were the most serious capital felonies, including murder, child sexual battery, destructive-device offenses causing death, and certain trafficking offenses, and argued the provision was intended to withstand constitutional challenge. Senator Pizzo raised Eighth Amendment concerns and questioned whether the bill could mandate death sentences. The tuition waiver provisions also drew extended debate: Fine said the state would save about $41 million by ending discounted tuition for undocumented students, while Democrats argued the savings would not return to general revenue and that the policy would harm students who are already enrolled. Fine and Gruters said green-card holders would not be affected and that the bill targeted only students in the country illegally. The discussion also covered appropriations and implementation. Senator Smith asked about the bill’s large funding levels, and Fine broke down the spending as including $375 million for the chief immigration officer, $100 million in grants to local law enforcement, $29 million for the new Office of State Immigration Enforcement, and $10 million for an unauthorized-alien transport program. Gruters said the funds would reimburse local governments and help address staffing shortages, while critics questioned the lack of benchmarks and the fiscal impact. No final vote or disposition on the bill appears in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• How are your schools, or what are your schools doing for America’s 250th birthday?
• She did not have any high school or middle school financial literacy education.
• preparation and the middle school look ahead to the high school course once we know what the high school
• School District.
• This certification involves specializing in school counseling, school social work, school psychology,

Summary: The joint Senate and Assembly Education Committee hearing featured opening remarks from legislators welcoming students from the California Association of Student Councils and SABLE, with members emphasizing student voice and noting that several past student proposals had become law. The hearing then moved through multiple student panels presenting policy ideas, with members responding in a mix of support, technical questions, and cautions about cost, implementation, and tradeoffs in instructional time. The first panel proposed an annual civic engagement day for grades 7-12 to increase civic literacy and participation through flexible school-based activities. Members asked about costs, flexibility for sixth grade, voter registration, and how the proposal would fit within existing curriculum and standards. The second panel proposed amending Education Code Section 35012 to require at least one student board member in every unified and high school district, with added motioning rights and training on budgeting and LCAPs; members raised concerns about mandate costs, board size, and the scope of motioning authority. The third panel proposed middle school financial literacy instruction, potentially embedded in existing classes like math, with a 10-year phase-in for teacher training and curriculum updates; members questioned whether the state should wait for the already-approved high school financial literacy course to be implemented first. The fourth panel proposed expanding restorative justice by creating a CDE task force and authorizing PPS-certified staff to use restorative justice materials in discipline processes; members discussed prior legislation, confidentiality in expulsion hearings, and the likely cost of a state task force. The fifth panel proposed short, twice-a-semester mental health and life-skills sessions for grades 7-12, but members expressed skepticism that brief classroom sessions could meaningfully address mental health needs and suggested wellness centers or student-led awareness efforts instead. The hearing then began panel six on AI implementation in classrooms, with students arguing that districts need clearer guidance on AI use and that education must adapt rather than ignore the technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any school district or charter school may voluntarily participate in the proficiency program by notifying
• Each participating school governing board or charter school governing body must identify students who
• have met requirements to be awarded the state seal, and each participating school district or charter
• school must award a student, on graduation from high school, a high school diploma with a state seal
• How about, let's go to the school. School. How about, um, let's go to the school bonding, HB 4033.

Committee: Senate Senate Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee approved the March 11, 2026 minutes and then heard several education bills. HCR 2015, which supports efforts for students to receive at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity and for schools to display dietary guidelines, drew strong support from advocates for recess, student health, and physical education, and passed 6-0 with one not voting. HB 2040, requiring adoption-related information when school employees discuss contraception or STI testing and adding adoption content to sex education curricula, drew opposition from Reproductive Freedom for All and the Arizona Education Association, but was still given a due pass recommendation 4-2. HB 2255, extending Arizona Teachers Academy eligibility for community college students from two to four academic years, passed unanimously with a due pass recommendation. HB 2764, creating a state seal of computer science proficiency for high school graduates, also passed unanimously after support from the Arizona Technology Council. The committee then considered HB 2600, which would require written parental permission for students in grades 6-8 to join school clubs or organizations. The ACLU of Arizona opposed it, arguing it could suppress participation in clubs involving sensitive identities such as LGBTQ, religious, or cultural groups; the bill received a due pass recommendation 4-2. HB 2379 would require school district governing board members to complete finance and governance training, with an amendment narrowing the requirement to newly elected or appointed members and adjusting reporting; the Arizona Association of County School Superintendents supported it, while the Arizona School Board Association opposed parts of it, and the amended bill passed 4-2. HB 2142 would create a School Safety Center and School Safety Council within ADE to provide training, technical assistance, and risk assessments; supporters said it would help schools, especially smaller and rural districts, while opponents raised concerns about funding and council composition, and it passed 4-2. Later, HB 4033, which would require more detailed school bond election pamphlets and separate ballot propositions for certain large or specialized projects, was supported as a transparency measure by the sponsor but opposed by education groups that warned it could make it harder for districts to fund facilities; it passed 4-2. HB 2482, limiting job order contracting on building renewal grant projects to $1 million and requiring verification against artificial splitting of projects, drew concerns from builders and school board groups about delaying repairs and limiting procurement flexibility, but the sponsor said it was needed to improve competition and transparency; it passed 4-2. Finally, HB 2575, the Anti-Semitism and Education Act, would prohibit public schools and higher education institutions from teaching or promoting anti-Semitism and set up reporting and discipline procedures; the sponsor said it was needed to protect students, while the ACLU and Arizona Education Association warned it could chill speech and expose educators to legal risk. The transcript cuts off during testimony on that bill, and no final committee vote is shown in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• Participants here in the room, thank you guys so much for joining us.
• Many private forest landowners participate in these types of markets.
• This represents local elected school board members representing the 1.1 million school children across
• Collectively, our school districts are the only recipient of common school trust revenues and the largest
• board of the Methow Valley School District.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on House Bill 2170, which would authorize DNR to enter ecosystem service and carbon contracts on state trust lands, and House Bill 2578, which would add tribal members and alternates to the Fish and Wildlife Commission. For HB 2170, the Department of Natural Resources and supporters said the bill would diversify revenue, help meet climate goals, and allow DNR to participate in emerging carbon and ecosystem markets without necessarily eliminating timber harvest. Opponents, including counties, school districts, timber companies, loggers, and forest industry groups, argued the bill could reduce harvest levels, harm rural jobs and mill supply, and lower revenues for schools and other trust beneficiaries; several said any new authority should be limited to additive projects with stronger safeguards. Supporters included environmental groups and some local officials who said the bill would provide a more stable revenue stream and better align land management with climate and watershed benefits. The chair noted there are two related vehicles in committee, HB 1508 as the negotiated version and HB 2170 as the department version, and the public hearing on HB 2170 was closed after extensive testimony. For HB 2578, staff explained that the bill would add four tribal commissioner positions and four alternates to the Fish and Wildlife Commission, with representation from federally recognized tribes on both sides of the Cascades and staggered terms. Prime sponsor Rep. Deborah Lekanoff said the measure would strengthen co-management and the state’s government-to-government relationship with tribes, while acknowledging there are other related bills and ongoing legal issues involving WDFW. The chair asked whether the bill would affect existing tribal consultation obligations, and Lekanoff said it would not replace government-to-government consultation; she also said she would follow up on how the governor would make appointments. The hearing on HB 2578 was then suspended so the committee could return to HB 2170 testimony. The committee also heard staff briefing and sponsor testimony on House Bill 2544, which would create a pilot process for the Upper Columbia River water rights adjudication. Staff said the bill would require Ecology to run the adjudication in two phases, starting with tribal and federal claimants and allowing time for settlement before bringing in other claims, with a report due by June 2035. Rep. Larry Springer said the bill is intended to establish a baseline of water use more efficiently in a process that can otherwise take decades. After the briefing and sponsor remarks, the committee began public testimony on the bill, with tribal representatives and other stakeholders queued to testify.

Transcript Highlights:

• FLORIDA'S DEVELOP IN A RESEARCH SCHOOLS ARE SPECIALIZED PUBLIC SCHOOLS AFFILIATED WITH UNIVERSITIES AND
• SCHOOLS AND PK YOUNG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH SCHOOL THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.
• TO REPAIR COLLEGE READINESS, EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK INCLUDE 100 PARTICIPATION RATE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
• FROM THE OTHER LAB SCHOOLS IN K-12 FLORIDA SCHOOLS.
• THIS PROGRAM RESERVES FOR SEATS FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT THE MEDICAL SCHOOL.

Transcript Highlights:

• Participants here in the room, thank you guys so much for joining us.
• This is members of the local elected school board members representing the 1.1 million school children
• School board members representing the 1.1 million school children across Washington State.
• Collectively, our school districts are the only recipient of common school trust revenues and the largest
• board of the Methow Valley School District.

Bills: HB2170 , HB2544 , HB2578

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: natural climate solutions, ecosystem services, revenue generation, economic opportunities, environmental policy, water rights, adjudication, Columbia River, environmental impact, natural resources, tribal members, fish and wildlife, commission, indigenous rights, state regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, there's a wait list for students and schools that want to participate.
• Is it particular to a school? Is it multiple schools?
• Chair, so the definition for participant means a school district or charter school that applies and is
• Chair, so the definition for participant means a school district or charter school that applies.
• So the definition for participant means a school district or charter school that applies and is selected

Summary: The committee first heard a detailed staff presentation on the LESC FY27 public school support recommendation. Staff reviewed the budget structure and explained that, despite a downward revision in state revenue estimates, the recommendation still relied on recurring and non-recurring revenue to support educator compensation, insurance, transportation, literacy, math, special education, and other school programs. Major recurring items included a 3% compensation increase, funding for an 80-20 health insurance cost share, insurance premium growth, and transportation adequacy funding. Staff also flagged a possible supplemental need of up to $35 million for virtual education tied to rapid enrollment growth in Chama and Santa Rosa, and members raised concerns about the quality, accountability, and funding model for virtual programs. Members asked questions about transportation for rural districts, the Martinez-Yazzie lawsuit fees, the treatment of enrollment declines in the school funding formula, and whether the word “average” in salary language should remain in the budget. Staff explained that the SEG should remain whole, that the insurance and transportation recommendations applied to all public school employees but not contractors, and that the budget included multiple math-related investments spread across several lines rather than one single appropriation. There was also discussion of out-of-school learning grants, school meals, literacy center operations, special education training, and the Public Education Reform Fund, including the use of multi-year, evaluation-based appropriations for high-impact tutoring and community schools. After discussion, the committee adopted the LESC budget recommendation. The committee then moved to endorsed legislation proposals. It endorsed a bill allowing the secretary to suspend an individual school board member, with notice and appeal procedures clarified, and a bill creating an 80-20 health insurance cost-share requirement for public school employees, along with a study of the sustainability of public school insurance programs. It also endorsed a bill on attendance provisions for students with severe medical conditions, which would keep those students from being classified as excessively absent. Finally, the committee discussed a teacher residency bill that would raise stipend levels, allow residents to complete service anywhere in New Mexico, and remove the requirement that sponsoring schools must hire them, though the bill did not include an appropriation. Members also raised questions about bilingual, Hispanic, and Black education funding, cultural and linguistic supports in teacher preparation, and where various programs should be placed in the budget or PERF framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• effective until after the next school year is started and has someone who's been on school boards.
• From back when I went to school, from my son going to school, they just hand-selected who they thought
• In the Columbia Public Schools.
• They drop out of high school at alarming numbers, and they need their public schools to acknowledge and
• Hall North School District.

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• calendars, and now also increased participation in some below-the-line programs like out-of-school time
• Schools.
• other than the assigned neighborhood public school, including charter schools and magnet schools.
• may participate under each program. provisions primarily define what schools and providers may participate
• Otherwise, there's data surrounding participating schools and some of the requirements that they're responsible

Transcript Highlights:

• and regular schools.
• an alternative school.
• As a schools uh and and regular schools.
• There's the same school resource officer we have at every other school there.
• There's the same school resource officer we have at every other school there.

Summary: The committee met with quorum, approved the September meeting minutes, and received a set of information reports on capital projects, debt, school district bond issues, UK and KCTCS asset preservation projects, and the Louisville Arena Authority’s financial report, with the latter noted as lengthy and expected to be discussed further in person in December. The committee also heard a Finance and Administration Cabinet lease report covering three leases: a temporary lease for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in Louisville due to ongoing maintenance and safety issues at its current site, a Department of Juvenile Justice lease in Hardin County for a day-treatment/alternative school program, and a Warren County lease renewal. Members questioned the Hardin County lease about the higher rate and limited competition; agency staff explained the specialized school setting, transportation and program requirements, and the difficulty of attracting bidders for alternative-school space. The lease package was approved after roll call. The committee then considered seven economic development grants: four EDF grants and three KPDI grants. The projects included infrastructure for Allen County’s industrial park, flood-related repairs for Weddington Plaza in the Big Sandy area, an Owensboro manufacturing expansion for Mscan America, a new Louisville manufacturing facility for Anthro Energy, a Henderson due-diligence study, a Paducah spec building, and utility extensions for the Riverbend site in Carrollton. Staff said the projects had been approved by KEFA and recommended by the relevant cabinet leadership, and the committee approved them by roll call. Finally, the committee reviewed a new Kentucky Housing Corporation conduit bond issue for about $43 million for 233 Louisville housing units, which was approved. It then took up five SFCC debt issues together: new money for an Edmonson County elementary school and Knox County middle school gym improvements, plus refundings for Callaway, Hardin, and McCracken counties. Members raised concerns that the refundings were bundled together and that some did not appear to meet a newly referenced 3% net present value savings guideline, but the package was still approved on a 5-2 vote. The meeting ended with calendar updates, including a November 20 meeting at noon and a December 16 meeting featuring the Yum Arena presentation, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Picus has developed for middle schools and high schools.
• and high school.
• He said a district like his has multiple elementary schools, multiple middle schools, multiple high schools
• Um, our district is comprised of three high schools: Star Valley High School, Swift Creek High School
• It's just such a different conversation from school to school depending on the size of the school and

Committee: Joint Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration

Transcript Highlights:

• to use it in the schools.
• to use it in the schools.
• the School Energy Coalition.
• Many schools still lack modern HVAC systems.
• Thank you. ...upgrades in schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• Even those of us who don't participate in the program directly.
• I'm having flashbacks to law school, Senator.
• And can you explain how Mass Save lowers costs even for customers who don't participate?
• in the Mass Save process. ...to participate in the Mass Save program.
• This was in partnership with Beverly Public Schools and National Grid.

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming

Transcript Highlights:

• that those schools are aware of the, to public schools just to make sure that those schools are aware
• Because it's a cliff when you get out of high school.
• Their goals are to increase student participation.
• Again, there is a continued emphasis on opt-in participation.
• How many students participated this past year?

Committee: All TASK FORCE ON AUTISM

Summary: The meeting opened with approval of the November 17 minutes, then moved to presentations from Arkansas State University and the University of Central Arkansas on programs serving neurodiverse and intellectually/developmentally disabled students. Dr. Kristen Johnson and Shane Broadway described A-State’s HOWL and ATLAS programs, which provide inclusive post-secondary education, on-campus living, academic and life-skills support, internships, employment preparation, and community integration. They emphasized that students are admitted to the university, can pursue either non-degree comprehensive transition programming or degree-seeking support, and are expected to build independence through activities such as financial literacy, medical appointments, meal prep, and work experience. Johnson cited strong student outcomes, including high goal attainment and post-graduation employment, while also noting barriers such as business liability concerns, fragmented transition planning, and the need for clearer funding pathways and statewide coordination. Committee members asked about coalition-building, public awareness, school outreach, eligibility, tuition, and the structure of the programs. Johnson said A-State has done extensive recruitment through IEP meetings, transition events, email outreach, and campus visits, and that a state alliance is being built with new programs launching at ASU Mountain Home and the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. She said program fees are $5,000 per semester, with efforts underway to reduce costs through reimbursement and other funding sources. Members also discussed the need for better communication with schools, employers, and families, and several legislators offered to help spread the word and connect the programs with local business and education networks. Dr. Debbie Daly and Jeremy Gillum then presented UCA’s Project Ascend, a new low-sensory, voluntary living-learning community in Hughes Hall for neurodiverse students. The program focuses on belonging, retention, and community-building rather than academic remediation, and uses self-identification rather than requiring a diagnosis. Daly said the program is in its infancy, with small participation so far, and that success will be measured by student engagement and retention. Members asked how students are recruited, how success will be measured, and how the program can grow; UCA said it plans to expand outreach through admissions, campus tours, orientation, and other events. The task force concluded by thanking both universities, noting the importance of these efforts for Arkansas families, and adjourning the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kaimuki High School, Kaiser High School, Halah High School, Halakawa Middle School, Khalani High School
• , Kapa High School, Kauaii High School, Ko Middle School, Ka High School, King Kawik High School, Lahina
• High School, Roosevelt High School, WA High School, WA Intermediate School, Wua High School, Wai High
• School, school, Kaiser High Kaimuki High School, school, Kaiser High School, School, School, Halah<00
• :22:49.280><c> School,</c> Roosevelt High School, WA High School, Roosevelt High School, WA High School

Bills: HB1751 , HB1752 , HB1636

Transcript Highlights:

• Large schools.
• Engaging as a school district, we participate in what's called the Hobbs Campaign for Grade Level Reading
• By the time you get to school, how do you react, and how do you participate in extracurricular activities
• our schools.
• schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• ANY DISTRICT WITH PURPLE STAR SCHOOLS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE AND NEARLY 300 TEACHERS AND SCHOOL WILL
• STAR SCHOOLS.
• WE HAVE CURRENTLY 90 SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT ARE PURPLE STAR SCHOOLS.
• SO NOW WE HAVE 90 OF OUR SCHOOLS INCLUDING ONE PRIVATE SCHOOL AS A PURPLE STAR SCHOOL DISTINCTION.
• THE WHOLE SCHOOL.