Conference committee debates CTE funding increases, placeholder for moving expenses in SB 2019

Chairman Shively called the conference committee to order on Senate Bill 2019 and asked the House members to explain the changes they proposed to the bill.

A House member told the committee the House’s package includes four substantive changes: a placeholder for moving expenses, an emergency clause for those funds, an increase in funding for new and expanded secondary career and technical education (CTE) programs, and added dollars for grants to schools for work-based learning coordinators. The transcript does not name the explaining member with a full title.

Wade 6, State Director for the Department of Career and Technical Education, told the committee the department has looked at potential properties and estimates the move could cost roughly $350,000 "without any renovation," including higher rent, furniture, moving and possible IT line work. He described line-item estimates mentioned to the committee: furniture between $100,000 and $150,000, a high-level moving quote of about $50,000, and a worst-case estimate of up to $40,000 to drop ITD lines into a new building. He said the department currently occupies the fifteenth floor of the Capitol and has 23 full-time equivalent staff there and that the office needs large workspace and loading-dock access to stage materials for statewide events such as state FFA and FBLA.

On program funding, the committee heard that the Senate had recommended $3,000,000 for new and expanded secondary CTE programs; the House added $5,000,000 to reach $8,000,000. The House also increased the line for grants to schools for work-based learning coordinators by $750,000; the transcript indicates a prior base figure but does not specify the final total for that line beyond the $750,000 increase. Committee members discussed program growth, the number of schools and programs coming online, and the capacity of 13 area CTE centers; a House presenter said several centers would consume much of a smaller fund and argued for the larger amount to avoid underfunding expanding programs.

Committee members expressed differing views on the size of the increase. One representative said they would "hang pretty tough on the 5" (an apparent reference to the House's $5,000,000 addition) and might be open to small adjustments on the work-based coordinator line; others urged caution because local districts incur costs to stand up new programs and because instructor availability is uncertain. The discussion noted that some programs funded in prior sessions were delayed because facilities or other local capacity were not yet ready.

The committee did not record any formal motions or votes in the transcript. Members agreed to confer among their respective delegations and return with suggested compromise figures; the chair then adjourned the committee.