Senators seek examples and data on regional governance and school-construction funding

After votes on the PCB amendment, the committee shifted to longer-range education governance, school construction and the foundation formula. Senators asked for operational examples of CISAs and supervisory-union models and requested direct testimony from practitioners, including superintendents and CISA directors who have implemented regional approaches.

A senator said she wanted to see concrete cost comparisons: “Here’s what it would cost a school district to do X by itself; here’s what it costs with the CISA,” referring to a cost-comparison slide attributed to Jill Graham. Members asked staff to line up witnesses from districts that had experience sharing services and to bring evidence on where efficiencies and student-outcome gains have been realized.

Senators also discussed school-construction mechanics — bonding, state aid and supplemental district spending — and how construction priorities interact with any governance changes. Committee members asked the Joint Fiscal Office and relevant agencies for analyses on teacher pay disparities, foundation-formula modeling and the fiscal implications of alternative governance structures before finalizing statutory language.

The committee scheduled follow-up sessions to hear from practitioners and to review school-construction experts and materials, and it assigned staff to keep a running list of follow-up tasks and witnesses to ensure the next meeting is evidence-focused.