House committee backs funding bump for sixth graders, adds middle-school CTE requirement

House Bill 339, sponsored on the floor by Representative Romano, won committee approval in the Committee of the Whole and was recommended for passage after debate over funding estimates and program details.

The bill would revise school funding law so that sixth graders in accredited middle school or junior high programs are funded at the midpoint between elementary A/B rates and high-school A/B rates. It also adds a requirement that the additional funds be used to expand career and technical education (CTE) opportunities for grades 6 through 8.

Representative Romano, the bill sponsor, told the committee the current funding treats sixth graders as elementary-level students even when they are enrolled in accredited middle schools, creating an “arbitrary funding gap.” He said the bill would allow schools to expand “age-appropriate work-based learning and advanced educational pathways,” and handed out an example showing a district offering more elective/CTE options at the middle school level than at elementary.

Supporters on the floor stressed workforce benefits. Representative Redskin said the bill had widespread support in the education committee and highlighted CTE emphasis on the national Commission of the States. Several members said the fiscal note appears overstated; Representative Redskin and Representative Romano both asked for the bill to go to appropriations so the Appropriations Committee can review the cost calculations.

Representative Matthews and other longtime middle-school educators described classroom constraints—large class sizes and limited access to shop or CTE spaces—and said additional funding could expand hands-on programming such as robotics, agricultural projects and first aid.

The vote in the Committee of the Whole was recorded at 68 in favor and 32 opposed; the committee chair announced the bill passed committee recommendation. Later on the floor, Majority Leader Fitzpatrick moved to re-refer House Bill 339 to the Appropriations Committee, and that motion was adopted without objection.

Why it matters: Sponsors and supporters said the measure is intended to close a funding disparity they described as outdated and to expand early exposure to technical career pathways, which they said helps address workforce needs in health care, agriculture, construction and skilled trades.

Votes at committee: - Committee of the Whole recommendation on HB 339: 68 yes, 32 no (motion carried)

Next steps: The House moved to re-refer HB 339 to the Appropriations Committee for a fiscal review.