Committee backs amendment to delay new school funding base and weights until Legislature acts

A legislative committee agreed to propose an amendment that would prevent a new school funding ‘‘base and weights’’ formula from taking effect until the General Assembly affirmatively votes to enact it.

The change was proposed as an amendment to a strike-all version of a bill the committee had been considering. Committee members said they wanted the requirement written into the bill so constituents would see it “in black and white.”

Committee members discussed the procedural language and timeline. One member said the committee had been told the legislature’s approval was “kind of implied,” but that the member preferred the requirement to be explicit: "before those base and weights goes into effect, the legislature has to act affirmatively," (Speaker 1, Committee member). Another member moved the committee propose the amendment as drafted by Senator Hardy. The motion was made during the meeting but no formal roll-call vote was recorded; members conducted a nonbinding straw poll that the chair characterized as indicating support to present the amendment to the full body with the condition that the General Assembly must act before the new formula takes effect.

Speakers noted timing questions. Staff and members identified a target implementation of fiscal year 2030 for the new foundation formula and said the consulting group’s report is expected in 2026. "The expert tasked with developing a cost factor foundation formula ... has provided general assembly the report pursuant to section 45 a to provide the general assembly an opportunity to enact legislation in consideration of the report," a committee member said while describing proposed contingency language.

Members also emphasized uncertainty about fiscal effects. One participant summarized work showing that under certain district configurations the House version of the foundation formula could spend less than current levels; others warned that spending changes depend on how districts are drawn and where sparsity and poverty concentrations fall. That uncertainty was repeated as a reason for requiring an affirmative legislative vote before the new base and weights would take effect.

Committee members agreed to have staff produce formal amendment language for distribution at a subsequent meeting. The committee framed the straw poll and the planned language as a way to ensure the legislature has an explicit opportunity to approve or reject the consultant-developed base and weights prior to implementation.