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 James Petzke that adds one FTP and a package of general and dedicated fund items. The motion included $144,200 for a database engineer, $10,000 for a software support contract, $35,000 for cybersecurity testing, $12,500 for program marketing, $20,000 for the credit-mobility grant, $99,000 for replacement vehicles and $40,000 for OITS hardware. Representative Petzke described the total as $229,200 from the general fund and $131,500 from dedicated funds, for a combined $360,700. The motion passed with a due-pass recommendation; the committee recorded a roll-call outcome in favor.

Several members pressed on a related change: funding originally proposed for an in-demand workforce grant (roughly $5 million) was removed during floor action and did not survive to the package before JFAC. Senator Windrow said the loss of that funding was a setback for workforce training and direct-care workforce needs, calling the absence of the funds "a travesty" for students and the economy. Representative Horman and other co-chairs argued the package reflects pragmatic adjustments to preserve other priorities in the budget and pointed to other appropriations the Legislature made for technical schools and university facility improvements.

Separately, JFAC approved a one-time $600,000 appropriation for a student transportation routing software pilot moved by Senator Woodward. The pilot is funded at $1,500 per bus, which the committee said equates to funding for roughly 400 buses. Jared Tetro, budget analyst with the Legislative Services Office, said the Department of Education surveyed districts and received responses from about 70 districts and charters; the cochair later said 43 districts expressed interest. The language adopted requires participating districts and charters to track cost and savings data and directs the department to report results to the committee after one full year of data collection. Tetro told the committee that if a contract and implementation occur in July, districts could have roughly four months of operational data by the time the next session begins; Representative Petzke cautioned that two years of data would be preferable to fully evaluate recurring funding decisions but said a one-year pilot is the feasible option for this budget cycle.

On compensation for the Military Division, Frances Lippitt, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, presented language to allow the division to maintain parity with the federal pay schedule for National Guard employees. The committee accepted the language by unanimous consent; members and staff described the change as preserving consistency between state National Guard rates and federal general schedule or military pay charts for enlisted and officer grades.

Finally, the committee accepted standard federal-funding restriction language for the Department of Health and Welfare that staff had intended to include in prior packet materials. Alex Williamson, budget analyst with the Legislative Services Office, described the insertion as a correction to earlier materials; the committee approved the language by unanimous consent.

The committee adjourned at the call of the chair and noted it may reconvene depending on subsequent House and Senate floor action.