PCSD superintendent warns House budget projection would cut per‑pupil aid and cost the district about $4.6 million

PCSD Superintendent Neely told the Senate committee the district is preparing to absorb 14 Limestone Charter Association schools on July 1, adding roughly 8,000 students and pushing PCSD from 45 schools and just over 22,000 students toward more than 30,000.

Neely said the district supports accountability but warned that a House budget projection would reduce the PCSD’s 45‑day per‑pupil funding by nearly $60 per student — from about $4,364 to roughly $4,300 — and that the change would reduce PCSD’s FY27 revenue by approximately $4.6 million. “I’m pleading with the Senate to fix what the House did,” Neely said, urging the chamber not to reduce charter per‑pupil funding.

Why it matters: PCSD officials said the Limestone transfer dramatically increases enrollment and operating scale. Neely told lawmakers the district serves a large rural population (about 63% of students from rural areas), has a pupils‑in‑poverty rate that rose to about 58%, and a growing share of students with disabilities — figures he said make the district vulnerable to per‑pupil cuts.

Neely laid out district data and expectations: PCSD reported roughly 2,500 teachers and staff, three EMOs supporting specialized or dropout‑recovery schools, and a wait list of about 6,500 students seeking enrollment. He highlighted student success stories — introducing eight graduating seniors from PD Math Science Technology Academy who together received 54 college acceptances and more than $2.5 million in scholarship offers — as part of the case for maintaining funding levels.

Committee members pressed Neely on specifics. He said PCSD will likely add a small number of EMOs as the district grows but emphasized oversight of fees and performance: “The bar is high … if your application doesn’t align with the law, and if it’s not complete, you’re not gonna get approved,” he said. On closures, Neely said two schools voluntarily relinquished charters this year and that PCSD has closed five schools during his tenure when performance or sustainability justified it.

Neely recommended greater cooperation on facilities and local district resources, suggesting local districts lease underused public buildings to growing charters, and urged the Senate to consider hold‑harmless measures for charters similar to those for larger districts.

The committee followed with additional questions about the Limestone transition; Neely praised Department of Education staff coordination and said he and the department visited the transferred schools and found them eager to join PCSD. The presentation concluded with members taking a photo with the visiting students; no formal vote was taken on legislative changes during the hearing.