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Open-enrollment bills draw concern; SAU 29 official warns of a potential 'death spiral' for sending districts
Summary
The superintendent told the SAU 29 advisory that Senate Bill 101 and a related House bill are advancing different approaches: amended SB 101 would send base adequacy to receiving districts plus $5,000 per student, while HB 751 retained earlier language and sits in committee. The superintendent said he emailed 'all 425 lawmakers' and warned of possible negative impacts on sending districts.
During the March 25 meeting, the superintendent briefed the advisory on two open-enrollment measures on the legislature's docket. He said the amended Senate Bill 101 would send base adequacy funding to the receiving district and add $5,000 per student to the receiving district's funding; in contrast, House Bill 751 retains the earlier language and remained in committee of conference at the time of the meeting.
The superintendent described his outreach on the bills and said he provided testimony and sent written comments to legislators. "I emailed it to all 425 lawmakers," he said. He warned that if students migrate from sending to receiving districts, the sending districts could lose revenue without proportional reductions in fixed costs, a dynamic he called a "death spiral." Board members discussed local articles opposing the measures: the superintendent reported that 96 of 99 towns that considered a similar article opposed the policy.
The superintendent and board members said the bills were being monitored and that election outcomes in November could change the legislative landscape. HB 751 remained in committee of conference; SB 101 had been amended and its implementation year was discussed as 2027, giving districts time to prepare if the bill advances.
