Bill 12‑14 would change K‑12 transportation funding formula, officials say it raises costs for next biennium

House Bill 12‑14, which Representative David Richter said would “change[] the way we fund the transportation, K‑twelve transportation in North Dakota,” received a detailed review Thursday in the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division.

The bill would retain bus miles and runs in the calculation but remove ‘‘riders’’ as a factor and add two new multipliers: one based on a district’s square mileage and a second based on the number of school buildings that have classes. The measure would also convert transportation funding from a block‑grant approach to a weighted student unit tied to the per‑pupil payment, so transportation funding would move up or down as the per‑pupil rate changes.

That shift matters because it changes how much state money districts will receive for busing and how increases are…