Committee backs replacing transportation block grant with formula in House Bill 12-14

BISMARCK, N.D. — The Appropriations - Education and Environment Division voted to advance House Bill 12-14 on a due-pass recommendation after testimony that the bill replaces the current block grant for K-12 transportation with a formula tied to the foundation aid payment.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Pat Heiner, District 32, told the committee the measure “sets up parameters” and moves transportation funding into a worksheet linked to the K-12 foundation aid rather than awarding a post-session grant to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Heiner said the change would give districts more certainty about funding.

Why it matters: Supporters said tying transportation to the foundation aid will make funding automatic when that aid is adjusted and let the state target money to costs that vary by district. Opponents in committee raised equity concerns because districts that receive significant in-lieu or production-based revenue will be affected differently than districts that do not.

What the bill does: Superintendent Steve Holden of Mackenzie County School District No. 1 in Watford City, who helped develop the proposal through…