JFAC advances State Board education funding, approves $600,000 bus-routing pilot; National Guard pay-parity language accepted

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) moved multiple education and administrative budget items forward on a due-pass recommendation, including a supplemental for the Office of the State Board of Education, a $600,000 one-time pilot for student bus-routing software and language to preserve National Guard pay parity.

The committee advanced a supplemental for the Office of the State Board of Education tied to a credit-mobility grant and a separate FY 2026 package of staffing and program items. Dr. Kevin Campbell, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the committee the credit-mobility grant is a $40,000 award that runs from January 2025 to January 2026 and is intended to help the State Board identify options to improve portability of credits between institutions. A motion to add $20,000 from the miscellaneous revenue fund to the FY 2025 appropriation was moved and subsequently carried with a due-pass recommendation.

The committee also approved a FY 2026 package for the Office of the State Board of Education moved by Representative…