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Committee advances funding-change bill that sponsor says could free $77M for special education and school safety
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Summary
Senate Bill 62 would revise how weighted-pupil units are calculated (altering reliance on prior‑year ADM), potentially freeing roughly $77 million that the sponsor proposed to redirect toward special education and ongoing school security; committee split on timing and readiness but recommended the bill 4–2.
Senate Bill 62 (presented by Senator Fillmore) would change aspects of the state school funding formula tied to the weighted pupil unit (WPU). The sponsor said the current floor — funding based on prior‑year average daily membership (ADM) plus growth — provides stability but also continues to pay districts for students who have left. The fiscal implication cited in committee was roughly $77 million in ongoing funding that could be redistributed.
Senator Fillmore described two priority uses he would favor if funds were available: (1) restoring the general‑education WPU to self‑contained special‑education students (estimated at about $58 million) so those students retain the general WPU as well as the special‑education add‑on, and (2) establishing ongoing school‑security funding rather than one‑time allocations. Multiple senators and witnesses — including Todd Haber, business administrator and legislative liaison for Granite School District — cautioned that shifting to an October 1 enrollment count or other changes could reduce predictability, complicate classroom staffing and hiring, and increase one‑year funding needs not captured in the fiscal note.
Senator Reedy offered a substitute motion to delay until precise language was ready; committee rejected that motion and instead approved the sponsor’s motion to recommend SB62 to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation (vote recorded as 4–2). Committee members agreed to continue negotiating a substitute during the budget process.
What’s next: The bill was recommended by committee and will proceed for further consideration; the sponsor signaled an intent to draft substitutes addressing fiscal and operational questions during the budgeting cycle.
