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Directors warn late bill could cut levy funding for districts with large ALE enrollment
Summary
Board members and staff flagged a late state bill that would reduce local effort assistance funding for districts with more than one‑third of students in ALE programs; the board planned testimony and outreach to lobbyists and legislators.
Board members and staff spent considerable time on a legislative update about education funding, describing a late bill that they said would reduce Local Effort Assistance (LEA) for districts with a high share of students in ALE (alternative learning experience) programs.
A staff presenter summarized the proposal: if more than one‑third of a district's students are enrolled in ALE, the bill would count only part of those students for levy funding, a change that would lower LEA revenue for districts with substantial ALE populations (discussion beginning SEG 1698). The presenter said the bill was filed late and could affect the district's levy projections and fair funding. "If you have more than 0.333 of your students in an ALE program, we're gonna cut your LEA funding," the staff member said in the discussion (SEG 1776–1779).
Board members said they would testify the next day and coordinate with lobbyists. One director said they had run numbers and, while the district expects to meet its levy target in the short term, the bill could materially reduce projected revenue in scenarios where it passes in current form (SEG 1800–1810). The board noted the bill's potential disproportionate impact on small, rural districts and said they would register opposition in committee and through the superintendent's office.
No formal board action was taken at the meeting beyond the pledge to follow up; the board scheduled testimony and staff outreach to provide talking points to legislators and lobbyists.
