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Lawmakers voice concerns over governor's foundation formula, potential school consolidation
Summary
Legislators questioned how the governor's proposed foundation formula would allocate funds, how local governance would change, and whether the plan could force consolidation of small rural schools; they also urged clearer timelines and more public engagement.
State legislators raised concerns about the governor’s proposed foundation formula during a Finance Committee discussion, focusing on how funds would be allocated, who would decide spending, and the potential for small rural schools to be consolidated.
Lawmakers said the proposal would shift portions of categorical funding — including transportation and other weights — into a single foundation formula, and that the formula uses modeling (referred to in the meeting as the PICO study and a “pikus formula”) to produce per-student allocations such as a proposed ratio of one nurse per 750 students. Committee members said details about how that block funding will be delivered to school districts or local educational advisory bodies have not been specified.
The committee’s concern centers on the effect of a block grant model on small, geographically dispersed schools. "They are going to give you that money and they haven't gotten to the governance," one committee member said, describing scenarios…
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