Education funding review spotlights LEARNS teacher pay, transportation and ESOL training costs

The Joint Budget Committee’s public‑school fund hearing focused on how the state’s LEARNS teacher‑salary mechanics, supplemental categoricals and targeted grants translate into dollars in districts’ classrooms.

Katie Walden of the Bureau of Legislative Research reviewed the public‑school fund appropriation and said the total recommendation for the fund is $3.5 billion for fiscal year 2027, a flat biennial amount. Department of Education officials explained that the LEARNS minimum teacher salary funding is set from a statutory snapshot (the baseline census) established in law and that changing which teachers receive the funding would require legislative amendment.

“Today, we have not taken a new snapshot in time,” the education official said. “It would require a legislative change for us to do that.” Members warned that teacher movement among districts and charter schools since the original snapshot may mean supplemental dollars now follow teachers who no longer work at the original district, and they asked for a list of districts and how LEARNS dollars flow in practice.

Transportation and modernization grants drew sustained interest. The department described a transportation modernization categorical (one‑time LEARNS set‑aside) that funded competitive grants for routing software, alternative service models and other innovations; officials said they have awarded less than $2 million so far and are prioritizing modernization over direct bus purchases to encourage long‑term efficiency. Lawmakers asked whether rising fuel costs and long rural routes still leave some districts underfunded for basic bus service; the department agreed to provide detailed lists of awardees and remaining funds.

Members also questioned a longstanding ESOL (English learner) summer institute that has provided graduate‑level training for teachers and administrators. Committee members and department staff debated cost‑effectiveness: the department noted prior summer institutes trained a limited number of teachers at high per‑teacher cost and said it is reviewing options to reach more educators and connect training directly to classroom support. Department staff invited practitioners to advise redesign. “At $6,400 a teacher, they shouldn’t get a college bridal — they should get a master’s degree,” the secretary said, adding the agency wants to focus dollars that reach more classrooms.

Committee leaders asked for follow‑up materials, including: (1) district‑level reports showing LEARNS funding recipients and the potential movement of teachers since the baseline; (2) a list of transportation modernization applicants and awards, and remaining balances; and (3) a plan for how ESOL professional development will be restructured to improve reach and value. The committee approved the public‑school fund appropriation recommendations pending those follow‑ups.

This hearing is part of the fiscal review that will inform the appropriations that appear in upcoming session bills.