Education subcommittee forwards TSPC funding report after warning of nearly $6M shortfall and 600-case backlog

The Joint Committee on Ways and Means — Education Subcommittee on Feb. 12 received a TSPC (Teacher Standards and Practices Commission) report that concluded Oregon’s reliance on educator‑paid licensure fees is unsustainable and could leave the agency with a projected shortfall of nearly $6,000,000 by the 2027–29 biennium. The committee voted without objection to send the report and the Legislative Fiscal Office recommendation to the full committee for further action.

The report, presented by TSPC Executive Director Rachel Alpert, said licensure fees are the commission’s primary operating revenue and that the current base licensure fee is $182. Alpert cited state fee authority under ORS 342.127 and described a long‑running decline in revenue since 2023 alongside rising personnel and operating costs. “Revenue has been decreasing since 2023,” Alpert said, and current projections show “an anticipated shortfall of nearly 6,000,000 by the end of the 2027–29 biennium.”

Why it matters: TSPC oversees educator preparation program approval, teacher licensure and investigations; those core functions do not scale with fee…