A legislative panel voted today to recommend funding boosts for school transportation and teachers’ insurance.
The House and Senate education committees voted to recommend that the next General Assembly increase the state’s contribution to teachers’ health insurance premiums by $63 million and provide schools with $49 million in “enhanced transportation funding” over the next two years.
The proposed increases are aimed at helping school districts cope with high gas prices and helping teachers cope with rising insurance costs.
The transportation funding would be in addition to the $286 per student that districts already receive for transportation funding and would be distributed according to a new formula developed by the Bureau of Legislative Research. The formula is based on actual miles driven.
Sen. Shane Broadway, D-Bryant, noted that the Legislature’s ability to follow the recommendations will depend on the economy.
“I’m going to say right now, I don’t think that that amount of dollars will be there,” he said.

Tags: education committee, school funding

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