House Ways and Means Education committee advances education budget package, including $1 billion ENT and new outcome-based CHEER fund

The House Ways and Means Education Committee advanced a multi-bill education spending package that would move millions in one-time and ongoing funds to K–12 schools, community colleges and universities.

Representative Garrett, chairing the meeting, told members the session began with what he described as about $1.6 billion in "excess funds," and that after the statutory waterfall and set-asides roughly $419 million remained for this year's supplemental appropriation. "Of that $1.6 billion of excess funds... after the waterfall... available for supplemental appropriation is $419 million," Garrett said as he walked members through slides on Education Trust Fund balances and projected reserves.

Why it matters: the package combines near-term supplemental grants with a larger $1 billion allocation of ENT (economic opportunity) funding for higher education, plus structural policy changes that could steer future state higher-education dollars toward measurable employment and completion outcomes.

The committee approved House Bill 235, the supplemental appropriation bill, which lists about $419 million in one-time allocations. Representative Garrett read a long set of line items including $25 million for fleet renewal and $25 million for school safety, $20 million for career-readiness grants, $10 million for charter-school grants, $30 million for summer and after-school programs, $10 million for struggling…