Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legislative Priorities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board workshop adds teacher-housing language to proposed legislative platform
Summary
During a legislative priorities workshop, board members discussed revisions to the district's proposed state-legislative platform and asked staff to include support for affordable housing options for teachers under a miscellaneous category. Staff said conversations with legislators indicate language may be filed in the upcoming session and that no
District staff presented revisions to the School Board's proposed legislative platform at a workshop on Oct. 7 and discussed additions based on board feedback.
Doctor Yolanda Morgan, who led the presentation, said the updated draft removed a priority tied to national academic award categories and added language opposing changes to local property taxes that could affect school funding. The presentation included appropriations priorities for West Tech workforce programs and Roosevelt program operational needs.
Board Member Erica Whitfield urged adding a miscellaneous priority supportive of any forthcoming affordable-housing options for teachers, pointing to recent legislative conversations and a draft bill discussed by the board. Whitfield said she intends to recommend the language so the board can signal support for state actions that make housing more affordable for educators. "There is nothing concrete that's been filed yet, but I think the addition that we could add to miscellaneous would be to be supportive of any affordable housing opportunities for our teachers as they come forward through the state legislative process," Whitfield said.
Capital City Consulting and district staff said the language can be included and noted they expect continued conversations with county officials; the county's legislative priorities will be considered by the county commission later in October and staff said they would coordinate priorities where feasible. Several board members expressed support for inclusion of teacher housing language in the final platform, which the board expected to vote on at its Oct. 15 meeting.
The workshop did not produce a formal vote; staff said the revised platform will return for formal adoption at the next regular meeting after the board provides final edits.
