Senate approves budget-focused education bill that trims running start and other program funding

Senator Wellman, chair of the Early Learning and K–12 Education Committee, introduced Substitute Senate Bill 6,260 and a floor amendment (No. 0844) that changes depreciation schedules for certain school buses and includes special treatment for buses purchased with federal funding.

The sponsor described the bill as a difficult but necessary set of adjustments to position state negotiators for the larger budget discussion. He said the bill addresses three areas: bus depreciation (years increased for some classes of buses), reducing the running start funding multiplier from 1.4 back to 1.2, and carving back some transition-to-kindergarten funding while allowing existing sites to continue under certain conditions.

Opponents, including Senator King and Senator Harris, urged ‘‘no’’ votes, arguing the running start program and transition-to-kindergarten slots are effective tools for student success and that cuts will hurt lower-income students and reduce about 7,000 TK slots, according to floor remarks. Senator King also suggested the Legislature should study the root causes of store and program closures rather than only legislating protections.

Amendment 0844 (bus depreciation changes) was adopted by voice vote; the Senate then advanced and, after debate, recorded a close roll call with 25 ayes and 24 nays. The presiding officer declared the engrossed substitute passed by constitutional majority.

The bill changes funding assumptions used by school districts and colleges; the sponsor said students will still be able to participate in running start but fewer summer seats and less funding may reduce some studentsopportunities to complete associate degrees during high school. Proponents framed the package as temporary budget-level trade-offs for negotiation; opponents said the cuts are neither efficiencies nor benign and urged restoration in later budget work.