JBC directs staff to draft bill capping BEST program revenue at $150 million, shifting surplus to school operating fund

The Joint Budget Committee voted to ask staff to draft legislation that would cap total annual revenue to the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Fund — commonly called the BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) program — at $150,000,000, and to direct any revenue above that cap into the State Public School Fund for public school operating support. The motion to adopt the staff recommendation and give staff drafting authority passed on a voice vote recorded as six‑zero.

Ms. Bickel, a Joint Budget Committee staff member, told the committee the governor’s November budget request had proposed capping BEST cash grants at $129,000,000 and shifting excess to school operating support. She said the governor’s office later revised its estimate for the shift downward to about $35,000,000. “My recommendation is … you create a cap on total annual revenue to the public school capital construction assistance fund, and you cap that at $150,000,000,” Ms. Bickel said. She added that, based on current projections, that cap would provide roughly $51,000,000 toward public school operating in the coming year while leaving roughly $100,000,000 available for BEST cash grants in 2025‑26, with longer‑term annual BEST cash grants likely falling to the $50,000,000–$75,000,000 range.

Why it matters: BEST is the state’s primary program for public school capital construction. Under the staff plan a fixed cap would make it mechanically simpler to determine each year how much BEST would keep and how much would…