USBE staff outline post‑session funding and new mandates after 2026 Legislature

USBE staff presented a post‑session briefing on May 1 that summarized funding outcomes and new statutory duties the agency must implement following the 2026 legislative session.

Legislative snapshot: staff said they tracked 210 bills this session, with 104 ultimately passing. The agency reported a 4.2% increase in the Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) and an estimated $7.6 billion for the minimum school program in fiscal year 2027; combined revenue estimates for FY27 were described around $9 billion.

Funding composition and constraints: board members pressed staff to clarify what portion of the reported funding is newly appropriated versus reallocated or one‑time money. Staff acknowledged the complexity of those calculations, pointed to an index in the bill book that itemizes reallocations, and provided a net ongoing increase figure of roughly $103.7 million after accounting for reallocations and programmatic changes.

Major bills highlighted and immediate implications:
• HB 44 (School Safety Amendments): designates USBE to announce and distribute school guardian stipends annually, requires LEAs to adopt visitor management systems and meet new minimum cybersecurity standards, and clarifies handling when guardians use deadly force. Some provisions (stipend timelines and distribution) require USBE administrative action.
• HB 312 (School Curriculum and Standards Modifications): directs USBE to develop open‑source core instructional materials, adds elementary social‑studies requirements, and updates implementation directions for the new American history/government/civics course—work described as multi‑year and resource‑intensive.
• SB 181 (School Discipline Amendments): establishes statewide standards for seclusion rooms (size, ventilation, audio/video recording), restricts duration, and requires LEAs to report retrofit/compliance plans with USBE oversight and potential corrective actions.
• SB 241 (Early Literacy): raises the statewide reading proficiency target while changing the definition of 'on grade level,' shifts most literacy paraprofessional funding to LEAs/charters/RESAs, and requires local teams to create custom reading plans and to consider retention decisions at third grade with specified exceptions.

Staff emphasized implementation work to come: multiple rule updates, new reports to the Education Interim Committee and several anticipated RFPs and contract actions to operationalize new programs and compliance requirements. The bill book available on USBE’s legislative session page includes “what/why/how” summaries and implementation checklists for staff and LEAs.

Board members requested clearer, summarized tables of which funds are ongoing, one‑time, or reallocations to better communicate the net gains and losses to districts. Staff committed to follow‑up materials detailing the five anticipated RFPs and the index of reallocations in the bill book.

Next steps: USBE staff will continue rulemaking and outreach to LEAs and publish implementation materials for the highlighted bills; board members asked staff for succinct summaries showing net impacts by program and district.