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Select Committee approves $402M K–12 facilities package, sends LSO0086 to Joint Appropriations
Summary
The Select Committee on School Facilities on Oct. 27 approved a revised K–12 facilities appropriations package (LSO0086) that embeds project priorities, moves most major maintenance into the standard budget and establishes a $10 million safety and security grant program. The bill passed by roll call, 10–0.
The Select Committee on School Facilities approved a revised K–12 facilities appropriations package (LSO0086) on Oct. 27 and directed staff to forward the bill and supporting materials to the Joint Appropriations Committee and the governor.
The draft bill largely follows the State Construction Department’s budget request but reflects committee edits: major maintenance funding was shifted into the standard budget (department staff reported an increase in the standard major maintenance line to approximately $214 million), an unanticipated allowance was reduced by $600,000, and the committee added embedded project priorities for component funding, design and construction requests. The draft bill also creates a $10 million school safety and security grant program administered by the School Facilities Commission.
“The budget that you’ll see presented reflects where we were at with the governor,” LSO staff attorney Tanya Heitrich told the committee while walking through the draft language. Heitrich noted the committee-directed change removing $600,000 from the unanticipated line and explained which line items are effective immediately for the current biennium.
Committee members debated program language and amendments before voting. Representative Provenza moved an amendment that changed the bill’s security language from requiring “the most cost‑effective method” to requiring “a cost‑effective method” and directed the commission to specify a maximum budget for each remedy. The amendment, intended to avoid requiring formal Mercer‑level studies for every security request while retaining fiscal guardrails, was adopted by the committee.
Roll‑call vote: The committee approved LSO0086 as amended on a 10–0 recorded vote. The committee also approved the minutes from its previous meeting earlier in the session by voice vote.
What the bill does: among other items, the bill appropriates component project design and construction funds, demolition and abatement funds, charter‑school lease payments and a charter‑lease contingency, modular leases, and new funding for safety and security grants. Several items in the draft are marked effective immediately (including a design request for Teton/Jackson Hole High School and a demolition request tied to an overlapping construction footprint). The bill text includes reporting requirements to the committee, Joint Appropriations and the governor for expenditure of major funds.
Next steps: LSO staff will transmit the bill and a transmittal letter to Joint Appropriations; the committee asked staff to include a memo noting a timing risk for some design funds (see related article on design timing). Joint Appropriations is scheduled to hear the agency budget and related materials in December.
