Although the Senate version of the budget bill provides more funding than the House version, neither fully funds the foundation school program. The House version is $7.8 billion (18%) below the current-law amount needed for school and the Senate version is $4 billion (9%) below the current-law amount needed for schools according to analysis provided by the Center for Public Policy Priorities.
Therefore a school finance bill is an essential part of the budget puzzle. Both the House and the Senate have school finance bills; CSSB 22 by Sen. Shapiro and CSHB 2485 by Rep. Hochberg.
Moak, Casey & Associates has published the following side-by-side of the two school finance plans:
Major Provisions of CSHB 2485 by Rep. Hochberg
- Eliminates target revenue and moves all districts to formula system
- Sets the basic allotment at $4,720 * the lesser of $1.06 or the district’s effective rate in Tier 1 ($472,000 is Equalized Wealth Level for Tier 1)
- Tier 2 Equalized Wealth Level is increased from $319,500 to $453,000 and the Guaranteed Yield is increased from $31.95 to $45.30
- Moves to current year property values
- Increases the compensatory education weight from 0.2 to 0.22
- Increases the bilingual education weight from 0.1 to 0.11
- Eliminates Chapter 41 Hold-Harmless
- Eliminates Support Staff Supplemental Payments of $500/$250
- Sets the Career and Technology weight at 0.15 (CTE students would no longer be subtracted out of regular ADA)
- Eliminates the High School allotments
- Limits reduction for districts losing more than $500 per WADA
- Any amount over $500 per WADA loss is reduced by two-thirds the first year
- Any amount over the $500 per WADA loss is reduced by one-third the second year
- Loss limit is eliminated beginning in 2014
- Institutes an August payment delay
Major Provisions of CSSB 22 by Sen. Shapiro
- Reduces revenue targets to 93.5 percent of their current levels in 2011-12 and 92.35 percent thereafter
- Reduces the “regular program allotment” to 98 percent of its current level
- The basic allotment is set to increase to $4,900 (from $4,765) beginning in 2015-16
- Repeals current-law limitation on revenue gains
- Requires state accountability for pre-k programs and authorizes the commissioner to withhold funding for one year to cover the cost of the creation of the system
HB 2485 has not yet been put on the House Calendar.
SB 22 is on the Senate Intent Calendar but has not yet received the support of a majority of Senators.