JBC proposes swaps and cuts to protect K‑12 total program; pauses some school‑meal transfers

Representatives Sirota and Brown briefed caucus members on education and early childhood items in the Long Bill, describing a mix of refinancing and targeted reductions intended to keep core K‑12 funding intact while trimming smaller grants.

On K‑12 funding, Representative Sirota said the Long Bill keeps the state share of the total program flat; any increases to meet total program obligations should come through the School Finance Act. The committee is refinancing $70,000,000 from general fund to cash funds for Charter School Facilities/BEST support and reducing various targeted grant programs (behavioral health professional matching grants, bullying prevention, school counselor grants, adult literacy and others).

On Healthy School Meals for All, Sirota said HB1351 contains transfers that replace prior borrowings and pauses a statutory transfer for two years to stabilize the State Ed Fund while the meal program is stabilizing and new local programs get underway.

Representative Sirota also outlined early childhood actions: a net decrease in general fund for the Department of Early Childhood (nearly $1,000,000 less in FY27), program refactoring (e.g., a $10,000,000 refinancing of preschool services to cash funds), reductions to several pilot programs, and a 50% reduction to the Healthy Steps program.

Members asked whether earlier tweaks would harm services; JBC members said some reductions are technical (refinancing with existing cash funds or projections of lower utilization) but acknowledged difficult choices were made across departments to balance the budget.

What happens next: education and early childhood provisions remain part of the Long Bill and orbital bills; members asked for additional tables and projections on the state education fund balances.