Senate education committee clears Education Excellence Fund allocations totaling about $23 million in approved plans

Senate Education Committee Chair Edmonds and members approved the Department of Education's allocations from the Education Excellence Fund (EEF) after a departmental presentation and committee discussion on March 18.

The department told the committee the EEF's new-appropriation portion for the year is about $11.6 million and that districts and nonpublic schools additionally hold carryover and investment balances across several accounts. The department said the set of expenditure plans it reviewed and approved this year totals a little over $23 million and will be released for districts, charters and nonpublic schools to spend as described in their submitted plans.

The Education Excellence Fund is funded by interest from the Millennium (tobacco settlement) investment account and is governed by state law cited in testimony as RS 17:3805. Department staff explained the statutory methodology: about 85% of regular allocations are routed to city/parish school systems and charter schools and 15% to nonpublic schools; a constitutional amendment also includes certain state schools and the Louisiana Educational Television Authority in the distribution methodology. Beyond the new appropriation, the department identified a $26 million aggregate carryover being held by districts, roughly $27 million remaining in district investment accounts managed by the state Treasury, and about $7.4 million reported as cash on hand in district accounts.

At the committee presentation, department staff described how this year's approved plans broke down by the three legally authorized categories: early childhood, instruction (remediation, tutoring, instructional supplies and related programs) and other approved educational programs. The department described the approved request set as roughly: about $15 million directed to instruction-related items, about $3.6 million for early childhood activities and about $4.3 million for other approved programs. Department witnesses said some districts also hold separate, long-standing investment-account balances that they may draw down when a specific approved project is ready.

After the presentation, Senator Mizell moved to "move the Education Excellence Fund" allocation package favorably. The committee took the motion by voice and, hearing no objections, approved the department's allocation package to proceed.

The committee did not adopt any amendments on the floor; the department said districts must continue to submit plans specifying how they will spend the funds and the department will monitor carryover and cash-on-hand balances in subsequent reporting.

The committee record shows the department explained reporting expectations: districts report in subsequent annual submissions what they actually spent and their remaining balances. Committee members pressed for greater clarity on per-pupil allocation math and a future presentation on early childhood seat counts; the department said it would provide a fuller breakdown for legislators before session. The committee did not change the statutory allocation methodology discussed in the presentation.

Notes: The department's presentation and the committee's vote were recorded in the committee transcript. The motion to move the EEF allocation was made on the record and carried without objection.