The final line item the Senate Finance Committee reviewed before moving out its operating budget for the next fiscal year was looking to add money to education.
Committee Co-Chair Pete Kelly oversaw the crafting of the operating budget and said that Amendment 8 was designed to put money towards education this year.
There was $25 million in the line item, the amendment added some $75 million for a total of $100 million if both fiscal years 16 and 16
Kelly pointed out that the funding is distributed through what he called “average daily membership”, and not through the Base Student Allocation or BSA.
Kelly: “We know that we’re going to address education this year and this is how we’re going to begin this process in the Senate. We have the bill coming over and there’s lots more to be determined between now and the end of session. Its important I think that the language at the bottom, the intent language and we want as a group that we want to figure out education, we may need some time to do that and this amendment gives us time while we are now putting the school districts too much out on a limb while we make our determinations.
House Bill 266 is now headed to the Senate floor.