BESE legislative committee reviews 2025 session outlook and funding scenarios for Quality Education Support fund; advocate warns of preschool seat losses

The BESE Legislative and Governmental Affairs Committee on Oct. 12 received an update on the 2025 regular legislative session and on three state budget scenarios that affect the Louisiana Quality Education Support (AG) fund. Committee members were briefed on the committee’s plan to monitor bills closely during the session and to provide comment or take positions as bills are filed.

Committee staff said the governor’s published budget represents a standstill scenario and that the administration had asked BESE staff to model three scenarios showing potential state general fund needs to sustain BESE operations and portions of the AG fund. Staff told the committee the three scenarios were compiled for the Division of Administration’s Budget and Planning Office and offered the scenarios for committee feedback.

During the meeting, the committee’s public comment period included remarks from Madeline Batson, director of policy and research at the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. Batson said more than 100,000 children under 5 statewide lack access to high‑quality early childhood education and that the Education Excellence Fund and certain 8(g) funds currently support about 2,000 at‑risk 4‑year‑olds. Batson warned that eliminating those funding streams could cause children to lose seats and that parents could face job disruptions. “We urge BESE and the department to continue to collaborate with the administration and the legislature to secure new funding for these 2,000 children and their working parents if the Education Excellence Fund and 8(g) funds are eliminated,” she said.

Committee members discussed how BESE will track bills and advised members to review prefiled and filed legislation daily during the session. Staff said they will provide a bill spreadsheet with links to bill text; members asked for regular updates and were told the spreadsheet will be updated weekly in most weeks and that staff will send links to new filings as they occur. Members also discussed the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) formula as an early priority and were encouraged to attend committee hearings on MFP if available.

On the AG fund update (agenda item 3.2), the committee received the report. The staff recommendation was simply to receive the document; the committee approved that recommendation on a voice vote (motion by Mr. Birkin, second by Mr. Hollis) and recorded no objections. Earlier, the committee accepted the staff update on the 2025 legislative session (agenda item 3.1) and asked members to monitor bills and coordinate positions through BESE staff and LDOE.

A committee member noted that any bill carrying a fiscal note would also be routed to a finance committee for consideration, and staff confirmed that fiscal notes and committee referrals will be tracked. The committee chair asked members to send comments on bills to committee staff and officers so BESE can coordinate testimony and positions in committee hearings.