Senate education subcommittee amends, advances bill 10-13; delays further work to Monday

The Appropriations - Education and Environment Division on a committee meeting amended and voted to advance bill 10-13, approving funding adjustments for K-12 programs and directing staff to resolve outstanding procurement and IT concerns with the Bank of North Dakota before further action.

The amendment, which revised Regional Education Association (REA) allocations and other line items, passed the committee by recorded voice vote. Chairman Sorvaugh and Senators Connolly, Thomas and Scheible voted aye; Senator Meyer voted no on the amendment. The committee then voted to move bill 10-13 as further amended with recorded aye votes from Chairman Sorvaugh, Senator Connolly, Senator Thomas and Senator Scheible; the clerk announced the bill "passed" out of the division.

The bill's final draft reduced the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund allocation and reallocated other carryover and special funds to per-pupil payments. Committee discussion and the file review presented these main funding changes: a reduction of $81,000,000 in the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund leaving $133,000,000 directed to per-pupil payments; a transportation grant formula reduction to $2,000,000 (from $10,000,000 in an earlier draft); student free-and-reduced meal funding listed at…