Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Funding And Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
JFAC approves State Board of Education funding package including $5 million workforce grant; directs credit-mobility and outcome-based reporting
Summary
The committee approved a supplemental and a FY2026 funding motion for the Office of the State Board of Education, accepted committee language requesting reports on credit mobility and outcome-based funding, and rejected a substitute motion to increase a workforce capacity grant to $15 million.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on March 11 approved multiple funding actions and committee language for the Office of the State Board of Education, including a supplemental $20,000 credit mobility grant and a FY2026 package that adds staff and several targeted line items, among them an ongoing $5 million trustee-and-benefit payment for a public-private workforce capacity grant.
Dr. Campbell, representing the State Board of Education, described the credit mobility supplemental as “a 1 year grant that runs from January of this year to December of this year, covering 2 fiscal years. And it, the State Board of Education applied to this to support its work, ensuring that credits are, transferable between institutions.” Representative Petzke moved the supplemental and later moved the larger FY2026 package.
Representative Petzke moved the FY2026 package for the office, which, as presented on the record, included one full-time position and several line items: $144,200 for a database engineer; $10,000 for a software support contract for CTL Now; $35,000 for a cybersecurity testing contract; $12,500 from dedicated funds for marketing CTL Now; $20,000 from dedicated funds for the credit mobility grant (the supplemental approved earlier); $99,000 from dedicated funds for replacement vehicles; $40,000 for OITS hardware; and $5,000,000 ongoing general fund as trustee-and-benefit payments for the public-private workforce capacity grant. On the record the mover stated totals of $5,229,200 from the general fund and $131,500 from dedicated funds for a total of $5,360,700. The committee adopted that motion on a roll call of 17 ayes and 3 nays.
Senator Wintrow offered a substitute motion to increase the public-private workforce capacity grant to $15,000,000. She described the increase as a response to university wait lists and workforce needs and urged prioritizing needs over tax cuts, telling the committee, “let's fix the roof before we go on vacation.” The substitute motion failed on a roll call (2 ayes, 18 nays). Committee members then returned to and approved the original mover’s package.
The committee also approved language that (1) outlines use of the approved funds, (2) requires a report from the Office of the State Board of Education on credit and transcript mobility, (3) adds provisions related to outcome-based funding for higher education and community colleges, and (4) specifies reappropriation authority and conditions, limitations, and restrictions. Representative Petzke moved to accept the language; after a roll call the language passed 14 ayes and 6 nays.
Earlier in the meeting the supplemental for the credit mobility grant ($20,000 from miscellaneous revenue) passed on a roll call that was recorded as 17 ayes and 3 nays after one member changed a previously recorded vote.
All votes and language adopted will be forwarded with do-pass recommendations. The language requires reports and establishes policy direction but does not itself change statute.
