Members of the House voted 56-11 to advance a bill that would reduce the amount of state aid and eliminate the small school adjustment for a school district that drops under 100 total students if the district does not reorganize in the two-year window currently allotted by state law.   “It gives (school districts) another […]

Public hearings, proposals and payments   Committee members will decide whether or not to change the current financial requirement for school boards to conduct a public hearing on certain purchases.   House Bill 1200 would require school boards to hold a public hearing on any proposed purchase, lease or issue of capital outlay certificate that

It went in that order this morning during the House Education committee’s meeting, which featured four important bills for K-12 education.   1200 Tabled   Rep. Lance Russell (30), sponsor of House Bill 1200, asked committee members to table the bill, which would have required school boards to hold a public hearing on any proposed

It went in that order this morning during the House Education committee’s meeting, which featured four important bills for K-12 education.   1200 Tabled   Rep. Lance Russell (30), sponsor of House Bill 1200, asked committee members to table the bill, which would have required school boards to hold a public hearing on any proposed

After an unscheduled day off yesterday, legislators get back to it this morning with a hearing for a controversial bill related to school funding on the agenda   House Bill 1173 would establish a property tax credit program for any property owner whose child, or children, are enrolled in nonpublic school or other education program,

Wednesday marks a big day in Senate Appropriations, both literally and figuratively. Committee members have 16 bills on the docket, including six bill hearings and two that could be acted on related to K-12 education funding.   Here’s a breakdown of the bills:   Senate Bill 28: The vehicle for an increase to property tax

In an unexpectedly welcome way, a bill that would have essentially subsidized private or home schooled education went down in committee, by its proverbial “own hand” nonetheless.   House Bill 1173 sponsor Rep. Don Kopp (35) requested the House Taxation committee table the bill citing plans to reintroduce a different version of the proposed legislation

Capital Outlay sunset date extended   Senate Education committee members stretched the provision allowing school districts to use capital outlay funds for certain insurance, energy, utilities and motor fuel costs at Tuesday’s meeting.   The committee voted 7-0 to extend the sunset date to 2018 as part of Senate Bill 194. The provision, introduced in

Action on TFA bill deferred   Action on Senate Bill 188, which would provide $500,000 in funding, taken from the general fund, for the Teach for America grant program, was deferred at Thursday’s Senate Appropriations meeting.   The TFA grant program would recruit teachers to and place them in school districts with high numbers of

Continuing contract bill discontinued   By a single vote (4-3), the Senate Education committee deferred to the 41st day a bill that allowed school districts to opt out of continuing contract requirements for teachers and establish contract provisions for the teachers the district employs that are in the best interest of the school district.