Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> talks about the average cost per pupil, talks about the average cost per pupil, which<00:13:09.920
• Um, everyone has an cost per pupil.
• So, a city does has a cost per pupil.
• </c><00:23:19.440><c> for</c> that calculation of cost per pupil for that calculation of cost per pupil
• </c> 40% of their average cost per pupil. 40% of their average cost per pupil.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Brittany Ward, third-grade teacher and president of Twin Rivers United Educators here in Sacramento,
• Brittany Ward, third-grade teacher and president of Twin Rivers United Educators here in Sacramento,
• non-basic aid districts is approximately $24,000 per pupil per year.
• about $10,400 per pupil per year.
• I am presenting A.J.R. 19 to call on the President of the United States to preserve and protect the United

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee met without a quorum for much of the hearing and heard several bills out of order. SB 249 by Senator Umberg would move county board of education elections from the primary to the statewide general election. Supporters, including the League of Women Voters and many educators, argued the change would increase turnout and make the electorate more representative. The Orange County Board of Education opposed the bill, saying it would increase costs, reduce local control, and bury education races on crowded general-election ballots. The chair and members discussed turnout, cost, and representation, but the bill was held pending a quorum. Senator Grove presented SB 373, which adds safeguards for California students placed in out-of-state non-public schools through IEPs. The bill would require more robust LEA and CDE oversight, including annual site visits, student interviews, quarterly contact, stronger certification standards, and restrictions on prone, supine, and mechanical restraints. Testimony from a survivor of an out-of-state placement and from advocates emphasized abuse, neglect, and the need for stronger monitoring. There was broad support and no opposition testimony, but the measure was also held pending a quorum. Senator Ashby presented SB 568, the epinephrine in schools modernization act, to clarify and expand requirements for stocked epinephrine so they clearly apply to all public schools, including preschool programs. School nurses and medical experts said the bill would close gaps created by universal preschool and ensure life-saving treatment is available for anaphylaxis. The committee discussed dosing and implementation, and the bill was supported without opposition testimony. The committee also heard SB 414, the Charter School Accountability Act, which would strengthen fiscal oversight, audit standards, and transparency for charter schools and authorizers. Supporters said it responds to fraud and audit findings while preserving charter flexibility; opponents, including school employees and teachers, said it did not go far enough on authorizer accountability and small-district oversight. After discussion, the committee voted 7-0 to pass SB 414 as amended to Appropriations. The committee also briefly heard SB 743 by Senator Cortese, which would create an equalization reserve account to provide additional funding to underfunded school districts and reduce funding inequities tied to ZIP code. The author said the bill would support student achievement and teacher retention over time. The transcript cuts off before testimony or action on SB 743 was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is where the court was looking at expenditures per pupil and education opportunities available.
• So the focus is on the actual expenditures per pupil and not whether ...expenditures.
• So this is where we'll study per pupil funding, teacher salaries, facilities, programs, and resource
• So this is where you'll look at the per pupil amounts or the teacher salaries.
• The committee chose to convert those to per-pupil recommendations using a district that had one K-12

Summary: The meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and then shifted to an update from Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva and Deputy Commissioner Stacey Smith on early childhood education, especially the state-funded Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program. They said Arkansas had received a federal Preschool Development Grant and described ABC as a large state program with about 23,800 funded slots and roughly $114 million in annual appropriations. Department officials said they are reviewing slot allocations because about 1,000 seats are funded but unfilled, while more than 2,000 families are on waiting lists, and they plan to reduce or reallocate slots from providers that have not filled them over several years. They also said they are examining whether income thresholds, curriculum expectations, daily rates, and summer programming should be updated, and members raised concerns about access, local control, transportation, and whether the program should better align with K-12 choice and school readiness goals. The committee agreed to form an early childhood subcommittee and asked the Bureau of Legislative Research to help gather historical data and other information for future discussion. The committee then received a legal presentation from BLR attorney Taylor Lloyd on the constitutional and statutory framework for education adequacy in Arkansas. She reviewed the Dupree and Lake View cases, explaining that the state must maintain a general, suitable, and efficient system of free public schools, and that adequacy and equity are distinct but related concepts. She emphasized that the General Assembly is responsible for defining adequacy, studying whether the system meets that standard, and reacting to the evidence, while the courts ultimately decide constitutional compliance. Lloyd also explained the current adequacy definition, the role of the matrix as a funding tool rather than a spending mandate, and the distinction between unrestricted foundation funding and restricted categorical funding. BLR’s Elizabeth Bynum followed with a historical overview of how Arkansas responded to the court cases and developed the current adequacy process. She traced major legislative actions from the 1980s through the Lake View litigation, including the creation of funding formulas, categorical aid, isolated funding, declining enrollment funding, and the 2003-2004 adequacy study that led to the Continuing Adequacy Evaluation Act and the matrix used to set foundation funding. She also described later changes to the adequacy statute, the financial reporting requirements for districts, and the ongoing use of surveys, stakeholder testimony, and consultant studies in the biennial adequacy process. Members asked questions about whether private or homeschool programs could use public funds for expenses like utilities, whether stakeholders should include those groups, the difference between average daily membership and attendance, and whether school board members are surveyed; staff said those issues would need further research or were outside the scope of the presenters’ role.

Transcript Highlights:

• The goal is for all schools in the state that have an unduplicated pupil percentage of 65% or more to
• The goal is for all schools in the state that have an unduplicated pupil percentage of 65% or more to
• For example, instead of setting the unduplicated pupil percentage eligibility threshold at 65%, the state
• Middle schools are a particular challenge in the United States.
• And middle schools are a particular challenge in the United States.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I heard some comments, and I think these conversations are kind of united.
• We did have to slow the growth a little bit of the per-pupil aid.
• But, I want to focus on the linking of the per-pupil formula to inflation.
• And three of my school districts are in the bottom six per-pupil funded in the state.
• metro per pupil.

Transcript Highlights:

• And California continues to have one of the highest pupil-teacher ratios in the nation.
• Grant Program, since its launch, that program has supported more than 28,000 aspiring teacher and pupil
• high-need school, and nearly nine in ten recipients teach in priority schools, where 55% or more of pupils
• In my district, Twin Rivers United Educators are right now fighting for more prep time in elementary
• As many of you know, the Twin Rivers United Educators have been on strike for 10 days. That's it.

Summary: The committee heard an informational discussion on California’s educator pipeline and shortages, with testimony from the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the Learning Policy Institute, CSU educator preparation leaders, and CTA. Witnesses said state investments of more than $2.1 billion have helped rebuild teacher supply, with credential issuance and preparation enrollment rebounding after COVID, but demand remains high because of turnover, early-career attrition, and persistent vacancies. Panelists emphasized that shortages are especially acute in special education, bilingual education, STEM, and in high-need schools and regions, and that underprepared teachers, substitutes, and emergency permits remain heavily used. Several speakers stressed that retention, working conditions, compensation, and stable funding are as important as recruitment. Members focused on whether current data systems are sufficient to measure need and track where teachers end up working. The Commission said it can monitor assignments for credential alignment, but does not have full employment data to determine whether grant recipients or credentialed teachers are actually deployed in the shortage areas for which they were trained. The chair asked for better regional and subject-area data, and the committee discussed the risk that layoffs and budget instability could undermine teacher pipeline investments. CSU representatives urged stronger support for student-teacher stipends, better coordination with districts, more capacity for special education preparation, and more stable CSU funding to expand educator preparation. CTA testified that school climate, class size, health benefits, and administrative support are essential to retaining teachers. The committee then moved to budget proposals. For the Golden State Teacher Grant Program, Finance proposed a $14.4 million reappropriation for 2026-27, and the Student Aid Commission supported continued funding, saying the program has influenced candidates’ decisions to enter teaching and work in priority schools. For educator residencies, Finance proposed $250 million one-time Proposition 98 funding through 2029-30; the LAO said it could be adopted if aligned with legislative priorities, and CTC said the program has strong uptake and supports retention. For the computer science supplementary authorization grant, Finance proposed increasing awards from $2,500 to $6,000 and reducing the match requirement, but the LAO recommended rejecting the change because only about one-fifth of the original funding has been used. The committee also discussed registered apprenticeship pathways, rural access, and whether federal Title II, Title III, or IDEA funds could support bilingual and special education teacher preparation. Several items were held open for further information and follow-up.

Transcript Highlights:

• And California continues to have one of the highest pupil-teacher ratios in the nation.
• Grant Program, since its launch, that program has supported more than 28,000 aspiring teacher and pupil
• nine in ten recipients teach in priority schools, where 55% or more of students are unduplicated pupils
• In my district, Twin Rivers United Educators are right now fighting for more prep time in elementary
• As many of you know, the Twin Rivers United Educators have been on strike for 10 days. That's it.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This statewide per pupil distribution.
• </c><00:48:27.920><c> formula</c> schools uh in a per pupil formula schools uh in a per pupil formula
• Uh, and they are receiving per-pupil funding.
• </c> safe school funding uh on a per pupil safe school funding uh on a per pupil basis.<01:16:29.520>
• Uh I'm confident that pupil funding.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Classroom Site Fund money on a per-pupil basis is $842 per pupil.
• This would reduce it by $1 to $841 per pupil.
• It violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Policy.
• It violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
• It violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> 8-year-olds with autism in the United 8-year-olds with autism in the United States<01:29:03.280>
• Some of them are so small they units.
• </c> per pupil. per pupil.
• And every each unit that I delivered.
• It you see the units that go into it?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission met to approve the May 18, 2026 minutes and then focused on how SB 57’s special education cost study should inform HB 1099, which creates a separate study committee on residential placements and related education costs. Members discussed sending the commission’s minutes and findings to that new committee, noting the short timeline for its work and the need to be specific about unresolved issues so the new group does not duplicate the same questions. A major topic was the cost and responsibility for students placed at Spalding and similar residential programs, especially transportation and whether costs are paid through the Department of Education’s episode-of-treatment (EOT) fund, local districts, DHS, or Medicaid. Staff explained that for students with disabilities, EOT funds cover special education and transportation costs tied to the placement, while students without disabilities are handled through DHS care-management and best-interest meetings. Members raised concerns about whether some students at Spalding are receiving no schooling, whether transportation costs are substantial, and whether Medicaid reimbursement could offset some expenses. The commission also discussed confusion over district responsibility when students placed in residential programs attend school in another district, using Winnisquam as an example. Several members said the receiving district was not notified that DHHS-approved programs could bring in additional students and costs, and they suggested DHHS or its care-management entity should notify both the district of residence and the receiving district when a program is approved. The group agreed this notification issue, along with transportation funding, privacy concerns in Medicaid-to-schools billing, and the distinction between special education placements, EOT placements, and other voluntary residential placements, should be passed to the HB 1099 study committee for further work.

Transcript Highlights:

• every one of us is carrying around every day at a higher ratio than almost every other person in the United
• At a higher ratio than almost every other person in the United States of America.
• We've never $50 minimum per pupil aid, which is unprecedented.
• Tarr, $200 per pupil. The question comes on adoption. Amendment number 601 by Mr.
• Tarr, $200 per pupil. Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor, aye.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up a long series of FY26 budget amendments during debate on the Ways and Means budget bill. Early on, an amendment on debt service and the Debt Affordability Committee was rejected. A major education amendment offered by Senator Lewis and supported by Senator Comerford was then adopted; it directs DESE to begin a public process, with $200,000 in funding, to review and recommend updates to the Chapter 70 municipal contribution formula and related school funding structures as the Student Opportunity Act nears full implementation. Senators argued that school districts across the Commonwealth are under severe fiscal strain, citing rising special education, transportation, health insurance, and Proposition 2 1/2 pressures, and that the current formulas are increasingly out of alignment with local needs. The chamber also considered and voted on many other amendments, with several adopted and several rejected. Adopted amendments included measures on public payroll transparency, regional EMS, a small business group purchasing cooperative pilot, simplifying Medicaid eligibility determinations, and early education background checks. Rejected amendments included proposals on first-time homebuyer savings accounts, population change studies, competitiveness studies, emergency contract reform, natural gas cost containment, a $200 per pupil aid increase, regional school reimbursement increases, a Foundation Budget Review Commission-related study, special education service studies, welfare benefit audits, short-term capital gains, and an MBTA sustainability plan. Senator Durant also spoke in support of Amendment 766, which would create a crumbling concrete assistance fund for homeowners affected by pyrrhotite, with tax-exempt aid, federal funding applications, audits, and a stakeholder working group. Near the end of debate, Senator D. DiDomenico praised the Shannon Grant program for gang violence prevention, and the Senate adopted a final corrective amendment containing technical fixes and local earmarks. The bill was then ordered to a third reading and, after a roll call on engrossment, passed to be engrossed by a vote of 38-2. The Senate also approved a motion to adjourn to the following Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. and recessed in memory of Yaron Lashinsky, Sarah Lynn Milgram, and Leslie A. Feeney.

Transcript Highlights:

• The commissioner of Education suggested that the state maybe should tax the per-pupil amount that gets
• </c><00:31:09.279><c> or</c> regularly enrolled body of pupils or regularly enrolled body of pupils or
• in in in in the United States 50% of the in in in in the United States 50% of the you<00:55:00.720><c
• No, we should respect the Constitution of the United States of America, the laws of the State of New
• </c> respect the Constitution of the United respect the Constitution of the United States<01:44:04.000

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on HB 402, a bill dealing with whether Education Freedom Account (EFA) payments should be described in state law as not constituting taxable income. The bill sponsor argued that the current statute is misleading because New Hampshire should not imply a federal tax result, and said the bill would remove that language and could also be amended to clarify that families should consult tax advisors. He emphasized that the measure was not intended to impose a state tax on EFAs, but to avoid giving inaccurate advice about possible federal tax liability. Testimony was divided. A retired representative and a tax preparer both opposed the bill, saying EFA payments are already treated consistently with IRS rules and that the bill would create confusion, administrative burden, and possible tax consequences for low- and moderate-income families. They argued the bill is a solution in search of a problem and warned that requiring 1099s could add costs for the scholarship organization and recipients. A tax attorney supported the bill’s repeal of the state language, saying New Hampshire should not put tax advice into statute and that the current wording is inaccurate because federal law, not state law, controls taxability. He cited IRS Section 117 and Publication 970, explaining that only some scholarship-like payments are tax-free and that many EFA-eligible expenses may not qualify for federal exemption. Members asked questions about what would be misleading, whether the bill was trying to tax EFAs, and the cost of issuing 1099s. The sponsor and witnesses repeatedly said the bill was not a state tax on voucher payments, but a clarification about federal tax treatment. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the accounting unit, the communication section, is called accounting unit in the Bureau of Emergency
• So the accounting unit, the communication section, is called accounting unit in the Bureau of Emergency
• is, and that's when a student becomes eligible, rather than using the estimated cost per pupil.
• The department would like to use the actual cost per pupil.
• We're not doing this estimated cost per pupil calculation right now.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Division 2 Finance Committee work session focused primarily on House Bill 115 and a proposed amendment, 114H, which would carry over language from HB 2 into HB 115 and place limits on Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs). Representative Murray described the amendment as a way to keep the 350% federal poverty eligibility cap, require students to have attended a charter public school in grades K-12 for the preceding year before entering the voucher system, and add guardrails against universal eligibility. She argued the state was facing a severe budget crisis, that expanding EFAs would divert money from other programs, and that public testimony and local votes showed widespread opposition to expansion. She also cited a letter from former Finance chair Neil Kirk opposing expansion. Other members responded that the committee should not revisit policy already decided by the House, though some said the amendment was fair to discuss because of its fiscal implications and supported it on that basis. The discussion then broadened into a debate over the fiscal impact of universal vouchers and the reliability of enrollment and cost estimates. Representative Luno argued that prior EFA projections had relied on assumptions that could badly underestimate state exposure, pointing to Arizona as a cautionary example and saying New Hampshire should not expand the program without better analysis. Representative Papovich similarly warned that universal eligibility could create a large, unexpected cost, estimating a potential exposure of about $285 million based on school-age children not currently in public, charter, or EFA programs. In contrast, Representative Weyler said EFAs can save money because public school spending is already high and parents using EFAs still pay taxes and take on more responsibility for their children’s education. After discussion, Representative Murray moved to accept the amendment, and Representative Bean seconded it. There was some procedural clarification about voting on the original bill and the amendment. The transcript ends before a final recorded vote on the amendment or on HB 115 itself, though the committee had also been told it would likely reconsider several retained bills later in the week, including HB 129, HB 133, HB 671, and HB 781.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a United Mineral and surface estate and we have another million acres of severed minerals. >>
• to $95 per pupil.
• to $95 per pupil.
• to $95 per pupil.
• to $95 per pupil.

Bills: HF3900

Keywords: permanent school fund, school endowment fund, Minnesota constitutional amendment, school aid, public school funding, State Board of Investment, investment income, distributable amount, school districts, property taxes, income taxes, voter approval, ballot question, constitutional amendment 2026, education finance, fund perpetuity, purchasing power, trust lands, swamp lands, internal improvement land fund

Transcript Highlights:

• compensatory revenue task force, roofs included, long-term facilities maintenance levy, non-public pupil
• </c><00:03:20.959><c> aid,</c><00:03:21.760><c> a</c><00:03:22.080><c> special</c> non-public pupil aid
• which a lot of folks don't know about, but charter schools receive the same amount of funding per pupil
• which a lot of folks don't know about, but charter schools receive the same amount of funding per pupil
• which a lot of folks don't know about, but charter schools receive the same amount of funding per pupil

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands
• It's dollars going back into reduce the property tax because of how we've done it per pupil so that the
• It's per pupil. These are things that are very...
• It's per pupil.

Keywords: 970, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:08.080><c> uh</c> provisions including 15minute unit uh provisions including 15minute unit
• This is a per pupil funding stream aid.
• The statewide average is $57 per pupil.
• </c> $62 per pupil. $62 per pupil.
• </c> per pupil. per pupil.

Bills: HF2433, HF2434

Keywords: education funding, children with disabilities, transition aid, special education, school district consolidation, healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• um what is line 248 of accounting unit um what is this<01:28:08.639><c> 3</c><01:28:09.159><c> 8023<
• that don't also have large number pupil that don't also have large number of<03:54:01.319><c> free</
• c><03:54:01.600><c> and</c><03:54:01.800><c> reduced</c><03:54:02.600><c> pupils</c><03:54:03.600><c>
• You are correct that Manchester's per-pupil spending is generally lower than average, for sure.
• You are correct that Manchester's per-pupil spending is generally lower than average, for sure.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee met to review Division One of a very large budget package, with the chair explaining that the budget was being analyzed in three divisions over multiple days. Members first discussed procedure, including when amendments and line-item votes would be taken, and agreed to proceed with the division’s presentation before questions. Representative Maguire then outlined the division’s approach as a series of tradeoffs to close a large budget gap, emphasizing cuts, some revenue changes, and a focus on overall spending levels as well as individual reductions. The presentation covered a wide range of agencies and policy areas. Major proposed changes included cuts or eliminations to several boards and commissions viewed as costly or duplicative, such as the Housing Appeals Board, Board of Tax and Land Appeals, Human Rights Commission, Commission on Aging, Office of the Child Advocate, and the Personnel Appeals Board, with some functions consolidated into other boards. The division also proposed back-of-the-budget cuts to the Information Technology Department, Judicial Branch, Justice Department, Retirement System, Corrections, and Environmental Services, along with fee increases in several areas. Other notable items included ending marketing for Paid Family Leave, reducing job advertising and tourism promotion, defunding the Arts Council, moving liquor enforcement functions out of the Liquor Commission, and shifting some funds such as the College Savings Commission money to Division Two. Several members questioned specific cuts, especially the elimination of the Council on Aging, the reduction in regional planning commission grants, and the large cut to tourism advertising. Maguire defended the choices as necessary budget tradeoffs, arguing that some programs duplicated work done elsewhere, that regional planning grants were not among the most essential items, and that tourism promotion was a form of spending he viewed skeptically. He also explained that the public defender’s budget was partially restored after a credible claim of a governor’s budget error, and that the committee would continue refining corrections-related cuts because the House was only halfway through the budget process and further changes could still occur in the Senate and conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• . ...General Fund to provide a minimum of $1,800 per pupil in 2026-27 for LEAs with TK to 6th grade and
• less than 55% unduplicated pupils, which are known as Tier 2 LEAs.
• I don't know. ...to provide stability to Tier 2 LEAs by setting an $1,800 per-pupil minimum for the Tier
• We want to note that, based on existing law, the Tier 2 rate could exceed the $1,800 per-pupil minimum
• County, the number of units required for the associate's degree varied by more than 20 units across the

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We slowed that growth a bit to $40 per pupil in 2026 and 2027, and $42 per pupil in 2028-2029.
• It is being reduced from roughly $48-$49 per pupil to $40 per pupil in the first biennium and then $42
• per pupil in the second biennium.
• and non-public pupil transportation aid.
• Non-public pupil transportation aid and non-public pupil education aid have given parents the resources

Bills: HF1388

Keywords: BARR Center, Building Assets, Reducing Risks, education finance, school funding, grant appropriation, evidence-based program, student achievement, social and emotional learning, school climate, teacher effectiveness, high school graduation, students in poverty, students of color, BIPOC, equity in education, Minnesota Department of Education, urban schools, suburban schools, rural schools, school coaching