Conference committee pulls back proposed tuition and weight changes, orders study of education formula

Members of the conference committee on the state’s education funding bill agreed during a meeting to withdraw several late-added provisions affecting weights and tuition for independent schools and to request further modeling and a formal study before making those changes.

The move came after multiple committee members said the language was new, had not been vetted by either chamber and had prompted alarm among school leaders and caucus members who saw draft spreadsheets projecting steep tax increases. Speaker 2, a committee member, said, "we had not intended for that to be the shock that it came across as being." Speaker 1, a committee member, warned: "I'm concerned that passing a completely unvetted proposal will also cause significant damage to people's property tax rates and trust in government and schools."

Committee members described the contested language as part of a broader shift toward a foundation formula and a related recalibration of "weights"—adjustments to funding tied to student needs and program types. Several participants said the current draft assumed a…