Subcommittee debates school‑building funding models and a consolidation grant proposal

The school building aid subcommittee held extended discussion about long‑term approaches to school capital funding, including a spreadsheet model that would allocate annual state building support by student levels and a legislative service request (LSR) to create a dedicated grant for school consolidation projects.

The chair presented a high‑level funding model that starts from statewide enrollment and estimated square footage needs, applies average construction and equipment costs, and converts total state share into an annual grant stream over a lifecycle. The model was offered as a conversation starter rather than a fully developed proposal; members noted it uses assumptions that would need updating (per‑square‑foot costs, allowable square footage caps and debt assumptions) and that it does…