Committee adopts funding amendment for summer learning: HB 5,047 would deposit $35M and $47M into new grant fund across two biennia

The Joint Committee on Ways and Means for Education on April 1 adopted the dash‑1 amendment to House Bill 5,047, inserting specific appropriations and expenditure limitations to support the summer learning grant program described in House Bill 2,007.

According to committee staff, the dash‑1 amendment removes placeholder language and provides funding for the Summer Learning Grant Program Fund. For the 2023‑25 biennium the amendment appropriates $35,000,000 general fund for deposit into the fund and provides $12,000,000 in other funds expenditure limitation to support the 2025 summer learning program. For the 2025‑27 biennium, the amendment appropriates $47,000,000 general fund for deposit into the fund and provides $70,000,000 in other funds expenditure limitation to support the 2026 summer program and the first part of the 2027 program. The staff briefing noted the measure contains an emergency clause and is effective on passage. The Legislative Fiscal Office recommended adoption of the dash‑1 amendment.

Co‑Chair Ruiz moved adoption of the dash‑1 amendment; after no objections the motion carried. Committee members then moved HB 5,047 to the full Ways and Means Committee with a do‑pass recommendation. The transcript records these actions as carried by voice vote; no roll‑call tallies were recorded.

Dr. Charlene Williams, Director of the Oregon Department of Education, offered public testimony in support of the related summer learning investment before the committee considered the appropriation. Williams told the committee that high quality summer programs prevent learning loss and accelerate growth, and she cited results from the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant and the 2024 summer grant program, saying the 2024 grantees “met targeted academic goals in literacy, science, and math” and that the Oregon Department of Education is prepared to implement a literacy‑focused summer learning model based on prior grant work. Williams said Oregon students have one of the shortest school years in the country and that “when we invest in summer learning, we are investing in possibilities.”

Lawmakers discussing the appropriation reiterated fiscal constraints and implementation concerns raised earlier in the HB 2,007 work session. Several members supported the funding package as a necessary step to provide districts time to plan effective summer programs; some said additional policy details and greater funding would be desirable but could not be accommodated under current budget constraints.

The dash‑1 amendment and the bill's movement to full committee advance the funding needed to operationalize the grant fund created in HB 2,007. Committee staff and the Legislative Fiscal Office will carry forward implementation details, including the grant application structure and reporting requirements, as the bill proceeds through the legislative process.