Legislative Priorities

Putting Students First by Advocating for our Collective Priorities

Thank you to our legislators who advanced public education priorities during the 2023 legislative session, particularly by increasing special education funding and expanding access to school meals. We need your continued support to effectively serve our students, staff, and communities, especially when many districts are experiencing profound financial challenges.

We look forward to working with you to continue advancing the state’s commitments to public education in the 2024 legislative session and beyond.

2024 Priorities

Thank you to our legislators who advanced public education priorities during the 2023 legislative session, particularly by increasing special education funding and expanding access to school meals. We need your continued support to effectively serve our students, staff, and communities, especially when many districts are experiencing profound financial challenges.

We look forward to working with you to continue advancing the state’s commitments to public education in the 2024 legislative session and beyond.

Ample, Equitable, and Stable Public Education

Amply and equitably fund programs and staff based on student need to close opportunity and achievement gaps; advance supports for Career and Technical Education; maintain the Transition to Kindergarten program; close regionalization factor gaps between adjacent districts in line with the recommendations from the 2022 K-12 basic education compensation advisory committee; and eliminate the differential access of school districts across the state to levy and levy equalization funding.

See Talking Points and Further Research

Advance Special Education

Fully fund the mandatory services for eligible students; remove the artificial cap; eliminate application penalties; recognize that costs vary for every district based on the uniqueness of each student and community; and expand access to inclusionary practices to improve student outcomes.

See Talking Points and Further Research

Build Safe and Healthy Schools

Safeguard the social, emotional, and physical safety of students and staff by updating the school construction formula; supporting a simple majority vote for school bonds; increasing access to the small school modernization grant program; expanding resources for relevant and essential staff training; and engaging students and parents in decision-making.

See Talking Points and Further Research

Transport and Feed Students

Help students and their families to have full access to basic education by updating the STARS formula so that all costs related to student transportation are covered, and by expanding the prospect for more students to receive school meals so they can learn successfully.

See Talking Points and Further Research