Transcript Highlights:

• financial assistance to public school teachers and students pursuing career and technology education, CTE
• allowing students to receive more than one reimbursement, a change that reflects the reality that many CTE
• version of the law limited the support to only cybersecurity certifications, HB 1061 expands this to all CTE-related
• And so this allows other CTE examination costs to be reimbursed for teachers.
• of the law limited the the support to only cybersecurity certifications, HB 1061 expands this to all CTE

Summary: The Subcommittee on Academic and Career-Oriented Education met briefly and considered only House Bill 1061, laid out by Representative Bojani. The bill would expand reimbursement for career and technology education (CTE) certification exam costs for students, teachers, and school districts. For students, it removes the current limit of one reimbursement so they can be reimbursed for multiple certification exams if they pass. For teachers, it broadens reimbursement beyond cybersecurity certifications to all CTE-related certifications. It also allows school districts that pay exam-related costs, including application or processing fees, to seek reimbursement from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) through an application process. During questions, members clarified that reimbursement would not be available if an individual failed the certification exam. Representative Schoolcraft asked about how the subsidy amount is determined and how the program is funded; the bill author said the amount is unchanged from current law and said he would follow up on funding details. No one testified for or against the bill. Representative Bojani closed on the bill, and the subcommittee left HB 1061 pending without objection. With no further business, the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Beltoni was discussing that EFA families would have free access to CTE programs.
• In a sense, the EFA money that went to the EFA student can be used to pay back the CTE center.
• You can either use your EFA to pay for your CTE services...
• Your EFA to pay for your CTE services, or you could disenroll from the EFA program.
• to CTE programs.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Freedom Account Oversight Committee met on March 27 and approved the agenda, adding a request for clarification on how the Children’s Scholarship Fund separates applications for the EFA program and the education tax credit program. The committee also approved minutes from December 30, 2025, and March 27, 2026, with a request that the March minutes include a link to the live stream. Members discussed the status of pending Legislative Budget Assistant audit reports on EFA and special education, noting the reports were still not released and would likely come later in the summer after review by the Department of Education and the Children’s Scholarship Fund. A major topic was the EFA program’s administrative fee, which statute allows up to 10% of deposits. Children’s Scholarship Fund representatives said current administrative costs were under 8%, that staffing had been reduced through the ScholarVia platform, and that any unused amount is reconciled and returned to students at year’s end. Members asked for historical administrative-cost data and a written explanation of how the withholding and reconciliation process works. The committee also reviewed the distinction between the EFA and education tax credit funding streams and was told the two programs use separate applications and separate funds, though both use the same platform. The committee spent substantial time on assessment and accountability. Department of Education staff explained that EFA students may satisfy annual assessment requirements through a portfolio, a norm-referenced test, or the statewide assessment; only about 10 EFA students took the statewide assessment, while most used portfolios or standardized tests such as the California Achievement Test and NWEA. Staff described how statewide assessment data are kept separate by student identifier and can be aggregated for EFA reporting, and members asked for breakdowns by grade, test type, and school district. The department also discussed linking assessments through Lexiles and Quantiles and said it could provide a list of commonly used formative assessments in New Hampshire districts. The committee additionally discussed a possible PSAT addition to the state contract and the costs of the statewide assessment program. Another major issue was special education eligibility and services within the EFA program. Members questioned the rule allowing a medical certification of disability from a licensed professional anywhere in the United States as an alternative to an IEP-based determination. Department staff said the current system allows either pathway, that about 1,000 EFA students are identified as special education students, and that the program does not track growth or service alignment on an individual basis. Members expressed concern that the medical-certification route may be too broad and asked for data on the disability categories used. The committee also discussed career and technical education access for EFA students, noting that Senate Bill 491 would provide guidance and that House Bill 1817 would address access and funding issues, but that current law still allows EFA funds to be used to pay CTE costs. The meeting ended with a request for future agenda items and a decision to leave the next meeting date open until fall, pending further information from the LBA audit process.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kyle is our dean overall the CTE programs, which includes ag.
• We don't pay our industry folks and CTE instructors enough.
• Right: 10,000 general education, 4,000 CTE, roughly.
• are CTE are is missy missy is our dual credit expert is that that's about right right 10,000 general
• And so President Flanagan just talked about they're looking at trying to get more into CTE and stuff

Summary: The committee reconvened at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Dr. Flanagan and college leaders about NDSCS’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce training, and facilities needs. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, growing enrollment, and new or expanding programs in aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker training, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also emphasized the college’s partnerships with industry, including John Deere, Fargo Jet Center, Sanford, and Comdel Innovation, and said NDSCS plans to seek approval next session for a revenue bond to build a new dorm and to remodel the library into academic and allied health space. Allied health dean Deb Smith testified that her division is at capacity and needs a simulation center, more lab and classroom space, and expanded dental and OTA facilities to meet demand and accreditation needs. Committee members questioned Flanagan and staff about workforce shortages, especially faculty pay, and whether the college can staff additional growth. Flanagan said the biggest challenge is recruiting instructors because industry pays more, but noted some health care and adjunct hiring is possible because of schedule flexibility and benefits. He also discussed shifting resources away from lower-demand programs like power sports toward higher-demand areas such as automotive and aviation maintenance. Members also asked about the college’s identity as a technical institution, with Flanagan arguing North Dakota would benefit from a more defined tech-school system. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs across subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, noting that dual credit and early entry account for about 5.9% of total credit hours and 2.7% of formula funding. The analysis showed subsidized dual credit tuition revenue of about $5.5 million and unsubsidized revenue of about $2.9 million, with some institutions showing margins and others losses depending on the model. Members discussed whether K-12 funding should also be reflected, how payments to high schools and teachers are structured, and whether tuition-free dual credit would require replacing both tuition revenue and the current dual credit scholarship. No votes were taken; the committee simply received the presentations and discussed the findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, is such as CTE.
• We're seeing a lot of CTE where a middle school is going to want CTE programs, and then is there going
• to be similar CTE programs in the high school?
• Are there, do they have access to Community colleges that also have CTE, so we have to really take a
• When you talk about CTE, additional, uh, uh, plumbing may be required, gas lines and this sort of.

Transcript Highlights:

• That would include CTE, education, and health sciences.
• When a student graduates in CTE, for example, with an associate's in the CTE field, they would get $12,000
• If you move for CTE education, health science, then, you know, it helps Wapitin.
• This, I think, is largely tied to CTE weighting.
• So under the existing formula, CTE is weighted obviously at five because the current... formula, CTE

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Cornell regarding the CTE Representative Cornell regarding the CTE language.<00:32
• teachers pushing into our CTE teachers pushing into our CTE environments, environments, environments
• get those math competencies in a CTE get those math competencies in a CTE course<00:53:52.160>
• And maybe that's in the CTE program.
• Um and also in the CTE programs.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That would include these CTE... ...CTE, education, and health sciences.
• When a student graduates in CTE, for example, with an associate's in the CTE field, they would get $12,000
• If you, you know, move for CTE education, health science, then, you know, it helps Wapitin.
• If you, you know, move for CTE education, health science, then, you know, it helps Wapitin.
• This I think is largely tied to CTE weighting.

Summary: The Higher Ed Funding Committee met to review how North Dakota might identify and address low-producing academic programs and to discuss draft funding formulas for the university system. Lisa Johnson of the NDUS explained that the State Board of Higher Education is already developing a system-wide policy, using models from other states such as Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, and Connecticut. She described how low-producing programs are typically flagged by multi-year enrollment or completion thresholds, then reviewed for workforce demand, mission fit, cost, accreditation, and regional need before any action is taken. Committee members asked about what counts as a program, how costs are analyzed, whether certificates are included, how exemptions work for mission-critical or high-demand fields, and whether the board or legislature should set the rules. Johnson said the board is the appropriate body to lead the process, but legislators could use funding leverage if they wanted to encourage action; the chair asked the board to bring a detailed proposal to the June meeting. The committee then heard a Legislative Council presentation on a draft formula for UND and NDSU. The proposal uses fall census FTE enrollment, with a placeholder undergraduate rate of $7,000 per FTE and a graduate/professional rate of $10,500, plus incentives for completions in in-demand fields and research productivity. Alex from Legislative Council walked through the projected funding effects, noting that the model would increase funding for NDSU and reduce it for UND in the current biennium, with different results in the next biennium as enrollment changes are recognized. Members questioned the use of the placeholder rates, the definition of in-demand programs, the treatment of research funding, and the exclusion of state-appropriated dollars from the external grants calculation. The chair emphasized that the numbers were illustrative and that appropriators would set the actual dollar amounts later. A second draft formula for the other nine institutions was also reviewed. That model uses fall census FTE without a weighted economic factor, applies a higher undergraduate rate, and adds completion incentives for in-demand credentials and all other completions. Members noted that the formula would benefit some institutions, such as Bismarck State College, while reducing funding for others, such as Mayville State, and discussed whether the nine institutions should be treated more uniformly or split into smaller groups because of their different missions and sizes. Committee members and staff repeatedly stressed that the formulas are still being refined and that some institutions would likely need hold-harmless adjustments or other transition measures. The meeting ended with the chair directing the committee to continue the discussion later and to expect further work on both the low-producing program policy and the funding formulas.

Bills: HR118, HR196, HR237, HR285, HCR85, HB442, HB443, SCR5, SCR29, SCR33, SCR63, SB25, SB202, SB319

Keywords: water utility, tax credit, excessive rates, residential service, subcommittee, fallen trees, property damage, insurance, property values, hurricanes, storm damage, local government, homeowners, risk management, committee study, census, military population, Department of Defense, representation, federal funding

Bills: HB1937, HB2153, HB3674, HB2978, HB3885, HB3671, HB3261, HB3021, HB3029, HB4274, HB3701, HB3076

Keywords: HB1937, Oklahoma schools, student communications, electronic communication, digital communication, parent notification, legal guardian, school personnel, teachers, coaches, administrators, charter schools, public schools, administrative leave, corroborated report, investigation, employee file, discipline, termination, school board

Bills: HF4156, HF3835, HF3995, HF4383, HF4091, HF4084, HF4311, HF198, HF4486, HF4302, HF4309, HF4032, HF3855, HF3673, HF4265, HF4012, HF4339, HF4298, HF3852

Keywords: infrastructure, wastewater, stormwater, Buhl, state bonds, appropriations, economic development, water infrastructure, grants, capital investment, funding, state regulation, Frazee, North River Drive, infrastructure improvements, HF4383, Minnesota capital investment, bonding bill, Department of Natural Resources, DNR

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know how realistic that is, but what efforts around CTE will PED be taking? Mr.
• So CTE is essential. We've invested funding. Thank you, legislators, for making those investments.
• We're all working to make sure that we have strong CTE programs throughout the state.
• We have to continue to invest in them and really figure out what it costs to create CTE programs.
• CTE is going to help us do that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Senator.

Transcript Highlights:

• The pandemic did have an impact on how CTE is performed, but we're making a steady strength and growth
• The pandemic did have an impact on how CTE is performed, but we're making a steady strength and growth
• Let's take a look at the CTE enrollment growth in terms of head count, right?
• Now, I can tell you in the last CTE audit that we did for 2024—the 2025 will come out before the end
• That's kind of what the CTE audit is designed to do.

Summary: The Higher Education Appropriations Committee met for its first session of the year, took roll, welcomed new member Senator Bracey Davis, and had members briefly describe their backgrounds and interest in higher education. Chair Harrell framed the committee’s focus on maintaining Florida’s top national ranking in higher education and workforce development, with an emphasis on funding decisions tied to student success, workforce needs, and the state college system. Senior Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell presented the Department of Education’s workforce and Florida College System budget requests and data. He described requested increases for adult education, Florida College System program funding, workforce development, and several grant programs, including workforce capitalization, apprenticeship/teacher apprenticeship, Open Door, and CAPE industry certifications. He highlighted record enrollment and completion growth across Florida’s colleges and technical centers, major gains in career dual enrollment, and expansion in programs such as nursing, AI, cybersecurity, welding, HVAC, and manufacturing. Members asked about labor-market demand, the impact of artificial intelligence on future job training, teacher apprenticeship details, mission creep and duplication in CTE programs, student placement and wages after graduation, and articulation between technical college clock hours and college credit. South Florida State College President Fred Hawkins testified about challenges facing a rural college, including low local college-going rates, long travel distances, limited faculty recruitment due to salaries, and the need for more operational funding to expand capacity. He cited strong job placement and licensure outcomes in nursing, dental hygiene, EMT/paramedic, and radiography, and said the college is exploring AI tools to improve student services and reduce staffing pressure. Pinellas Technical College Executive Director Mark Hunter described strong dual enrollment, high job placement, employer partnerships, and a reported 400% return on investment, while also warning that many programs have waiting lists because of staffing and equipment constraints. He explained how technical college coursework is aligned with state college credit through content-based articulation agreements. The committee then opened the floor for public comment, but no additional business was taken up, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• CTE and we get so much funding back depending. standpoint, you know, if we have pathways within CTE
• And then, um, how is your program, is it out there in the CTE?
• And I just want to clarify what I’m talking about with CTE is like in the CTE world.
• CTE teaching special education.
• of CTE, they operate, so Wade and your CTE people are the ones that have, if, I don't know legislatively

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• CTE and we get so much funding back depending.
• And then, um, how is your program—is it out there in the CTE?
• And I just want to clarify what I'm talking about with CTE is, like, in the CTE world.
• But I think, from the aspect of CTE, they operate, so Wade and your CTE people are the ones that have
• of CTE, they operate, so Wade and your CTE people are the ones that have, if, I don't know legislatively

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 pandemic did have an impact on how CTE performed.
• Let's take a look at the CTE enrollment growth in terms of headcount.
• Now, I can tell you in the last CTE audit that we did for 2024-2025, which will come up before the end
• And that's kind of what the CTE is designed to do.
• As I mentioned before, we are looking at that data, especially when we look at CTE audit compliance.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Under education, you added four different projects for CTE programs around the state where you're going
• to fund specific pathways within those CTE centers.
• 07:02.400> different<00:07:02.639> projects<00:07:03.039> for<00:07:03.280> CTE
• <00:07:04.400> um four different projects for CTE um four different projects for CTE um programs
• within those CTE centers. within those CTE centers.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A committee has been working on where CTE is going, and the speaker noted that there are 28 CTE centers
• So you can look these CTE centers.
• available to us for the CTE. available to us for the CTE.
• It's not the CTE advisory council.
• That's that's a CTE advisory council.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee opened its first meeting on retained education funding bills, focusing on HB 366, which concerns school building aid for eligible projects, and HB 295, which would make school building aid program funds non-lapsing. The chair framed the discussion broadly around whether school building aid should remain a state program, how to address limited revenues, and whether the current system should continue to prioritize debt service and the existing formula or move toward a different model such as per-pupil allocations, a dedicated fund, or a split between new construction and renovation. He also raised questions about whether leasing should be included and how to manage any new fund under current law and the school building authority structure. Representatives and department staff discussed the current backlog of applications, the age and condition of school facilities, and the possibility that large projects can consume available funding for a year while other districts go unsupported. Tim Carney of the Bureau of School Facilities introduced himself and provided technical context on the program and current debt levels. Representative Luneau argued that under the ConVal decision, the state’s responsibility includes school buildings, construction, and renovation, and that the program also serves an equity function by helping districts with less property wealth. He noted that construction and renovation have long been recognized categories and asked about leasing, which staff said is already supported in statute for charter schools and possibly CTE, with a cap of 30% of annual lease cost or $50,000. The discussion also covered CTE facilities: staff explained that capital funding for CTE centers is state-funded, that federal Carl Perkins funds cannot be used for construction, and that the current rotational capital model means only a few centers are funded each year, which may not match changing program needs. A committee studying CTE capital needs was referenced, along with concerns that the report from that work had not yet been received. Representative Papich urged the subcommittee to focus on policy, principles, and structure rather than just numbers, saying the current system produces a few winners and many districts that never receive aid. He favored a simpler, more equitable per-capita or formula-based approach, while acknowledging the need for a transition plan for projects already in the pipeline. The chair later cautioned against mixing maintenance and operations with construction and renovation, noting that operation and maintenance are already part of the adequacy formula and should not be confused with capital funding. No votes were taken during the meeting; the discussion was exploratory, with members and staff laying out competing approaches and identifying issues for further work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kyle is our dean overall the CTE programs, which includes ag.
• We don't pay our industry folks in CTE instructors enough.
• Right: 10,000 general education, 4,000 CTE, roughly.
• are CTE are is missy missy is our dual credit expert is that that's about right right 10,000 general
• And so President Flanagan just talked about they're looking at trying to get more into CTE and stuff

Summary: The committee met at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Flanagan and campus leaders on the college’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce programs, facilities needs, and industry partnerships. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, the college’s strategic plan, and new or expanding programs such as aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also described the need for a new dorm and a remodel of the library into academic and allied health space, including a simulation center, to address capacity limits and support growth. Several committee members asked about program demand, faculty recruitment, pay competitiveness, and how the college shifts resources from lower-demand programs to high-demand ones. Industry partner Jim Albright of Comdell testified that the college has been essential to the local manufacturing workforce and that many employees and interns come from NDSCS. A major topic was dual credit. Flanagan said dual credit is important but financially challenging, noting that only a small share of dual credit students ultimately matriculate to NDSCS and that the college’s dual credit model is close to break-even. He explained that many dual credit credits are general education rather than CTE, and that the college pays instructors, supports high schools, and absorbs indirect costs. Williston State College President Bernal Herning added that his institution loses money on the front end but has shifted toward helping students complete associate degrees before high school graduation because many go directly to work after high school. Committee members questioned how dual credit is delivered, how instructors are qualified, and whether students are truly doing college-level work. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit statewide. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs and said the analysis shows dual credit is not profitable at several institutions once tuition, instructor payments, and overhead are included. Members asked how much of the cost is borne by students, families, and the state, and whether K-12 funding should also be considered. Discussion also covered the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, payments to high school teachers or schools, and the possibility of waiving tuition in the future. No votes were taken, and the committee mainly gathered information for the ongoing dual credit cost study.

Transcript Highlights:

• I had no idea about CTE after dark. Those are all great things. Yeah.
• industry in in the area around the CTE industry in in the area around the CTE is<00:48:20.079>
• <00:49:36.240> They particular for the CTE students.
• They particular for the CTE students.
• I have actually graduated from a CTE program.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's work for some more CTE. Let's more, let's work.
• Um, we find that our students come to school because they want to be in their CTE classes.
• We offer CTE courses in cosmetology.
• And this year for graduation, um, almost 40% of our students graduated as CTE completers and we were
• Um, but through their CTE courses because we know the amount of math, language, science, and history