Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Budget Scheduling topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Education and Environment committee schedules deeper DPI budget review; members flag school construction loan issues for military-base districts
Summary
Committee members said they will dig more deeply into Department of Public Instruction budgets and multiple K–12 funding bills next week and discussed opportunities for Grand Forks and Minot to access federal cost‑share loans for school construction tied to military bases.
BISMARCK — Members of the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division told colleagues they will pursue deeper review of education-related budgets next week and flagged multiple pending K–12 funding bills and one-time construction opportunities tied to military bases.
Representative Richter and other committee members said there are “an incredibly large number of funding bills related to DPI and related to the K‑12 funding.” Richter told the panel small changes in weighting factors can move tens of millions of dollars in the K–12 funding formula and urged coordination between policy and appropriations committees so large funding bills are routed appropriately through the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division before full-committee action.
Representative Sanford raised a facilities question tied to two military-base districts that have been offered federal funding covering roughly 80% of construction costs; he said the districts must provide the local match and “need to be part of the borrowing pool, so to speak.” Sanford asked whether the committee could provide a vehicle to position districts to accept these opportunities. Counsel Brady said it would be appropriate for this committee to examine such proposals because the panel “has the most expertise in that area” and could provide recommendations to the full appropriations committee.
Nut graf: Committee members scheduled open hearings and follow-up sessions for agency budgets, including WSI and water-related agencies, and asked that agencies bring technical staff when high-dollar items are discussed so lawmakers can question specifics.
Chairman Nathy and representatives said next-week hearings will include open testimony (pro/con/neutral) for agency budgets and that some smaller agency budgets might be finalized quickly, freeing time for large items such as DPI. Representative Swiatek said the panel will have full appropriations meetings and E&E hearings on the scheduled days and encouraged members to coordinate with agency staff ahead of appearances.
Ending: Committee members agreed to reconvene for scheduled open hearings and to follow up on specific education funding bills that could materially change the K–12 funding formula and capital‑financing options for districts with federally covered construction projects.
