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JFAC approves public‑schools maintenance language on teacher pay, discretionary funds, assessments and digital content
Summary
The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Jan. 17 approved detailed maintenance bill language for public schools that specifies uses and reporting for professional development, discretionary funds, health insurance, digital content, assessments and other programs.
The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Jan. 17 approved the program‑maintenance appropriation for public schools and a package of statutory language that spells out how many existing allocations are to be distributed, reported and used.
Deputy Division Manager Jared Tetrault, who presented the section, said the maintenance package is largely the FY2026 base as authorized by last year’s session with one minor statewide adjustment. "The maintenance budget before you today is the base appropriation plus that one adjustment," Tetrault said.
Key items the committee approved in the public‑schools language include:
- Professional development: The appropriation bill designates a discrete amount for statewide professional development and continuous improvement tied to the teachers appropriation (documented in the committee packet as $13,700,000).
- Teacher supplemental / career ladder alignment: Language ties the existing $6,359 supplemental allocation for instructional staff to the new compensation mechanics (CEC) so that the statutory distribution adjusts if lawmakers approve systemwide compensation changes.
- Discretionary funds: The bill preserves a per‑support‑unit discretionary allocation (the packet records $23,472 per support unit for the current year) and retains rules for how districts and charters may use those dollars.
- Health insurance: The maintenance language reiterates that health‑insurance dollars are intended for plan coverage and requires districts to provide a "good" plan; the packet lists the current per‑employee allowance for the year at $20,150, subject to committee decisions on health‑benefit policy.
- Classroom technology and digital content: The committee approved language directing a portion of student‑support funds to classroom technology and digital content purchases, and it included reporting and grant provisions for competitive distributions.
- Assessments and advanced opportunity reporting: Up to $2.3 million was identified to support statewide student assessments, college‑entrance exam administration and preparation programs; the Department of Education must report on advanced‑opportunity participation and outcomes.
- Targeted allocations and transfers: The bill carries specified transfers such as statutory distributions for tobacco/cigarette/lottery funds for children’s programs, targeted English‑learner funds ($4,370,000 with $450,000 reserved for competitive grants) and grants for students not meeting proficiency standards.
Tetrault walked members through a crosswalk handout that maps the new consolidated student support division sections back to the previously separate line items. He said the committee will see the drafted section numbers and bill text again once legislative drafters produce the formal appropriation bill.
What’s next: Staff will incorporate the approved language into draft appropriation bill text, post it to SharePoint and bring it back for committee review before floor introduction. The committee recorded a roll‑call approval with no dissent on the motion setting the public‑schools maintenance appropriation and its language.
