Appropriations Panel Reviews Career and Technical Education Funding and Program Changes

The committee received an LFA overview of Career and Technical Education funding, distribution mechanics and recent statutory changes.

LFA financial analyst Rochelle Gunderson said the CTE add‑on allocation for fiscal year 2027 is approximately $132,800,000 after enrollment and WPU adjustments. She explained carve‑outs (for comprehensive guidance, work‑based learning, skill certification and summer agricultural programs), the two‑step allocation process (statutory carve‑outs and remaining per‑student WPUs), and recent changes that moved some carve‑outs into LEA discretion.

Gunderson said the committee previously voted to create a separate program for the former comprehensive guidance carve‑out, renaming it College and Career Counseling to improve clarity and transparency in program purpose and funding. She also reviewed the concurrent enrollment program, which receives about $27,200,000 for FY2027 and operates on a 60/40 split between K–12 and higher education where instruction is shared.

The presentation covered the Catalyst Center grant program (created by HB447 in 2025), its multi‑year capital and grant authority to support industry‑aligned career pathway facilities, and program funding actions including a reallocation approved by Executive Appropriations that raised the FY26 base for the program.

Several technical items were noted for follow up, including an internal audit referenced for the CTE student organizations administrative allocation and questions about FTE accounting in the CTE systems and standards program.

What’s next: Committee members asked for follow‑up on concurrent enrollment per‑student values and audit results; no funding motions were recorded in this transcript.