House Subcommittee Amends the Education Budgets
On Thursday, March 3, the House Subcommittee on Appropriations for Education, chaired by Rep. Rusty Black (R-Chillicothe), amended HB 3, the budget bill that funds higher education and workforce development. The subcommittee also made changes to HB 2, which supports elementary and secondary education.
Changes impacting higher education and workforce development include:
- Funding for the Dual Credit Scholarship was reduced from the Governor’s recommended $7 million to $67,000. The funds would be redirected to:
- $4.5 million increase to Access Missouri
- $1.25 million for a vocational rehabilitation program state match under the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
- $1 million to provide feminine hygiene products in middle school, junior high, and high school building
- $207,000 to maintain MERIC’s statewide workforce analysis through a fund switch
- Funds were removed from DESE’s GEER II appropriation to add $450,000 for DHEWD to “commission a study of higher education performance funding and higher education efficiency, institutional mission, and reform.”
- Funds were removed from a new decision item that would support the Center for National Pandemic Resiliency to establish a $250,000 school safety training grant program administered by DESE.
Motions that were voted down or withdrawn include:
- Providing an additional $3 million to Access Missouri by removing $1.5 million from the A+ Scholarship and Bright Flight programs
- Line-iteming out the University of Missouri System’s land grant funding and reducing it by $8 million. The funding would have gone to Lincoln University under a new decision item for its core funding and land grant match.
Rep. Black will now provide the subcommittee’s recommendation to the House Budget chair, Rep. Cody Smith (R- Carthage).
House Higher Education Committee Discusses Higher Education Funding Formula Bill
On Monday, Feb. 28, the House Higher Education Committee, chaired by Rep. Brenda Shields (R-St. Joseph) heard public testimony on Rep. Mike Henderson’s (R-Bonne Terre) HB 2602. The legislation would create a funding allocation formula for Missouri’s public colleges and universities. The formula would consider total full-time equivalent enrollment, mean earnings of students who have been enrolled, Pell recipients, and graduate student enrollment.
Rep. Henderson indicated that the legislation “ties state funding for institutions to the student outcomes.” While some legislators, including Rep. Derek Grier (R-Chesterfield), voiced support for a funding formula for higher education, many stopped short of supporting the legislation.
“This is an intriguing concept,” said Rep. Joe Adams (D-University City). However, legislators raised concerns that the legislation would reallocate only existing dollars provided to public colleges and universities and appears to cap total funding for higher education at current core appropriation levels.
During public testimony, Jared Meyer of the Austin, Texas-based Cicero Institute spoke in favor of the legislation and explained the overall intent of the bill’s approach and formula. The legislation is based on a model used by Texas State Technical College, which switched its funding formula from “where Missouri is today to something that is based 100 percent on student earnings” after graduation. Meyer said this approach ensures that institutions push more apprenticeships and align students to work opportunities. “Creating the right incentives will create a better return for taxpayers and the students attending these institutions,” said Mr. Meyer.
Opponents of the bill, including Council on Public Higher Education executive director Paul Wagner, expressed concern about the specific incentives the legislation would create. For example, if enacted, the legislation could encourage institutions to reduce emphasis on high-need programs like social work and teaching. In addition, the bill would base funding decisions on earnings of students 6-10 years after they leave campus.
SB 781 Sports Legislation Considered in Senate Education
On Tuesday, March 1, the Senate Education Committee, chaired by Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin (R-Shelbina), considered SB 781. Sponsored by Sen. Mike Moon (R-Ash Grove), the legislation would require “middle school, high school, and postsecondary sports teams that compete against public middle schools, high schools, or postsecondary education institutions to be expressly designated as male, female, or coeducational” using the terms provided in the bill. The bill would also prohibit individuals whose sex was assigned as male at birth from participating in athletic teams and sports designated for females, women, or girls.
Workforce Development in K-12 Bill Language Added to HB 2325
On Monday, Feb. 28, HB 2171 workforce development bill language, sponsored by Rep. Rick Francis (R-Perryville), was included to Rep. Jonathan Patterson’s (R-Lees Summit) HB 2325, legislation which would establish the “Workforce Diploma Program” within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Under the original version, the legislation would establish a new diploma program that would “assist students in obtaining a high school diploma and develop employability and career technical skills.” Specifically, an approved provider under DESE would need to meet qualifications to receive funding under the program. The provider would receive funds provided under the program if the registered student meets specified milestones, including completion of a half unit of high school credit, attaining an employability skills certification, industry-recognized credential, or an accredited high school diploma.
The amendment expands the legislation to require that students develop Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAPs), complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (while providing several waiver options), and instructs DHEWD to help high school students enrolled in career and technical education programs complete an application for aid under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
The bill was perfected on the floor the same day and is pending before the House Fiscal Review Committee.
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