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Director Dack Details Governor’s K–12 Budget: Literacy, Diagnostics, Math Acceleration, CTE and Wellness
Summary
The Department of Education and Workforce outlined the executive budget’s K–12 priorities — science of reading investments, a universal K–3 diagnostic assessment, automatic math acceleration and career-technical expansion — and answered committee questions on implementation and costs.
The Department of Education and Workforce presented the executive budget proposal to the House Education Committee on Feb. 19, outlining priorities the administration says are intended to keep students “at the center” of decisions.
Director Steve Dack told the committee that the budget continues investments in four priority areas: literacy (aligned to the science of reading), learning acceleration, workforce readiness (including career-technical education) and student wellness. The department asked for continued funding for literacy coaches, the use of disadvantaged pupil impact aid (DPIA) for science-of-reading interventions, and a proposed universal diagnostic assessment for grades K–3.
Why it matters: The budget proposals would change classroom practice and local spending choices — for example, requiring districts to use at least 25% of certain DPIA funds for reading interventions and, for the lowest-performing districts, 50% — and would require districts to use a single K–3 diagnostic assessment for reading and math so the state can compare results. The administration also proposed automatic math acceleration for top scoring students and expanded access to career technical education by eliminating middle school waivers.
What was asked: Committee members asked for cost breakdowns and technical details. Representative Pickelantonio and others pressed the department to calculate how changes in the formula inputs and inflation interact with the proposed funding. Members asked whether the universal diagnostic would force districts to replace existing assessments and how teacher time and professional development would be handled.
Other proposals highlighted: a $10 million principal apprenticeship, $1.5 million to develop an optional integrated early-grades curriculum, $32 million for the workforce incentive program, and $50 million at the Department of Public Safety for driver's education grants. The governor’s budget also funds a school bus safety grant program ($30 million) and expands funding for school-based wellness services and school meals via the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) requirement with a hardship opt-out.
Implementation caveats: Department witnesses said they would follow up with more precise percentage and cost calculations when asked. Several lawmakers signaled they would seek more detailed fiscal analyses before voting on the budget measures.
