Committee OKs introduction of RS 32040 to create public education facilities grant fund for rural schools

The House Committee on Education on Jan. 28 voted to introduce RS 32040 for a public hearing, a bill sponsors said would create a Public Education Facilities Fund to help school districts pay for construction, remodeling, deferred maintenance and safety repairs.

The bill was presented to the committee by Representative Rod Furnace of District 31 and Representative Sony Galaviz of District 16. Representative Sauter moved to introduce RS 32040 for a hearing; the motion was put to a voice vote and the chair stated the motion carried.

Sponsors said RS 32040 would convert an older, underused program into a straightforward grant program administered by the State Board of Education. The proposal would transfer an existing approximately $25 million balance from an older Title 33 fund into the new Public Education Facilities Fund, and sponsors also proposed transferring roughly half of the balance (about $57 million total currently in the public school health insurance participation fund, per the bill text) to seed the new fund.…