Senate panel adopts substitute after superintendents urge full gap funding for small districts

The Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee on Wednesday adopted a committee substitute and gave favorable expression to House Joint Resolution 32 after several superintendents urged the panel to provide additional gap funding to allow small, low-bonding-capacity districts to complete necessary school projects.

Superintendents from Marion County, Augusta Independent, Williamstown and Walton Verona described projects they said cannot proceed without more state assistance. Chris Brady, superintendent of Marion County Public Schools, said Lebanon Elementary is the district’s remaining major facility need and told senators construction costs have risen markedly: “Our project cost of 29,200,000 … the 50% allocated by the facility assistance fund leaves our district lacking over $10,000,000,” Brady said, asking for greater support for Marion County and two other low-bonding districts.

Brady also disputed the auditor’s certified numbers. He said the auditor’s report listed a reduced figure for the project ($19,700,000) because the auditor deducted bonding potential; Brady said the auditor listed bonding potential at $9,460,000 while his district’s actual bonding potential is $9,165,000.

Lisa McCain, superintendent of Augusta Independent Schools, described the district as small, rural and low-income, and said its single campus serves preschool through 12th grade; she said the district’s current gymnasium is 8,800 square feet while the educational multipurpose facility it needs would meet a 14,400-square-foot minimum and that Augusta cannot proceed without full gap funding. McCain said Augusta’s local bonding capacity is limited (she described it as a 4.65 bonding capacity) and that the district’s students include approximately 70% who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

John Sloan of Williamstown said his district needs full funding for a STEM center and field expansion and that without the full gap funding the project would be delayed for years. Matt Baker of Walton Verona said his district built an intermediate school to relieve overcrowding but that final bids rose sharply (from an estimated $10 million pre‑COVID to a $25.5 million awarded bid) and that Blue and Company’s certified numbers did not fully reflect his district’s updated costs. Baker asked the committee to consider updated submissions he said were provided to staff and the auditor.

Senators asked for data points that can objectively show a community’s capacity to cover gaps, such as tax rate, number of nickels adopted, enrollment growth and bonding capacity. Committee members and presenters repeatedly said the districts’ limited tax bases, low bonding capacity and sharply rising construction costs make full funding essential for some projects to proceed.

Chair Petrie and committee members said the committee had directed an independent audit by Blue and Company to reconcile long-standing discrepancies and that the substitute seeks a middle approach after receiving multiple rounds of data. Senator Webb and other senators voiced empathy for small districts and supported moving the substitute forward. The committee recorded 11 ayes and no nay votes on the substitute and gave the measure favorable expression.

The record includes several numerical differences between district requests and certified auditor figures; where figures diverge, the transcript records both assertions by superintendents and the auditor’s certified numbers. Committee members asked districts to supply updated data for further review before final action.