Legislative work session approves amendment tightening local school budget increases; several bills tabled

Members of a legislative work session voted 4-3 to adopt amendment 2025-3013h to House Bill 675, a change that would require a two-thirds majority of a school district's legislative body to approve annual budget increases that exceed the combined change in student population and inflation.

The amendment, explained on the floor as modifying HB 675, removes prior five-year averaging for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and student-count calculations, instead using annual changes. It delays some changes so the new calculation approach begins in 2028 and makes the amendment effective July 1, 2026.

Supporters said the amendment replaces multi-year averages with year-to-year adjustments linking allowable appropriation increases to the annual percentage change in ADMR (the student-count measure) combined with the annual change in CPI. Opponents said the timing and design raise concerns about adequacy of school funding and local control.

'This amendment requires a two-thirds vote of a district's legislative body to raise its annual budget above the combined ADMR and CPI measure, removes five-year averaging previously used for CPI and ADMR, and sets the CPI adjustment to an annual calendar-year change,' the bill sponsor (speaking for the amendment) explained during floor discussion.

Representative Murray, who opposed…