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Senate committee advances bill to freeze current school funding formula and create supplemental special‑needs fund amid fiscal concerns
Summary
The Senate Education Committee voted to report House Bill 54‑53 as amended; the bill would hold the current school funding formula for a multi‑year period and create a supplemental school weight fund for tiered special‑needs funding. Senators pressed the Department for fiscal details and rejected a Marion senator amendment in a 5–6 division vote.
The Senate Education Committee on Wednesday advanced House Bill 54‑53 after several senators pressed for details about the bill’s fiscal impact and the timing of supplemental special‑needs funding.
Counsel told the committee the bill would require the current school funding formula to remain in effect for the next three school years, preserve charter‑school funding consistent with the existing formula, and — as written in committee discussion — set a per‑pupil block grant of $6,100 for county boards in the 2029–30 school year. The bill also would create a supplemental school weight fund to be appropriated by the Legislature for tier 2 and tier 3 special‑needs students; counsel recited per‑pupil allotments discussed in the bill text.
Senator from Marion pressed the Department of Education for fiscal details and asked how the formula would change special education funding annually. Department representative Drew McClanahan said he would follow up with the committee’s funding expert (who was not present) and noted that "I believe there was the introduced bill had about a $214,000,000 fiscal note," while also deferring to the committee’s fiscal staff for precise calculations.
Senator from Marion offered an amendment to move the effective date for supplemental funding earlier; after a voice vote the chair called for a division. The clerk recorded 5 yeas and 6 nays and the senator’s amendment to the amendment was rejected. The committee later adopted the counsel‑explained amendment as offered and voted to report the bill to the full Senate with the recommendation that it pass, with the measure first referred to the Committee on Finance.
Why it matters: the proposal would lock in funding rules for multiple school years and establish a dedicated supplemental fund for higher‑need students; lawmakers noted potential large fiscal implications and asked for Department and fiscal‑office follow‑up before the Finance Committee acts.
Next steps: HB 54‑53 will be reported to the full Senate with a double committee reference to Finance; the Department of Education was asked to provide the committee with more precise fiscal figures.
