2024 Legislative Recap

The 2024 legislative session, which ran from February 12 to May 19, concluded on schedule with the passage of a supplemental budget and tax bills. However, the session’s end was far from smooth. It was marked by burglary charges against a sitting senator, extensive filibusters in both the House and Senate, heated debates on high-profile bills, the failure to pass a bonding bill, and tumultuous final moments on the House and Senate floors.

Given the shorter legislative session, the primary focus was on passing a bonding bill, which ultimately did not happen. The legislature also aimed to pass a supplemental budget bill and make technical corrections to legislation passed in the previous session. The February budget forecast revealed a larger-than-expected surplus, leading to a more substantial supplemental budget bill than anticipated. However, concerns about long-term budget stability resulted in a budget that emphasized one-time funding over ongoing expenditures.

MASA priorities advanced this session

Despite the short session and a limited budget, many of MASA’s legislative priorities advanced. Although not exactly as outlined in our priorities, working with key legislators and other education stakeholders, progress was made on a few issues:

• Additional funding and flexibility to support Read Act implementation.
• More clarity and timelines on flexible learning year programs.
• Additional efforts towards pension reform.
• Reserve for student support personnel funding.
• Minimizing mandates.

Supplemental education budget and policy bills

Overall, the supplemental education budget bill appropriated $43 million in additional one-time funding and allocated $50 million that was set-aside in 2023 to expand voluntary prekindergarten. Key funding provisions include:

• $31 million for teacher compensation for required Read Act training.
• Reallocating $33 million that was originally intended for curriculum which now will go directly to districts to use as they determine if the funding is tied to Read Act or literacy incentive aid uses.
• 5 million for a student teacher stipend pilot.
• $4.6 million for a student attendance pilot project.

Policy provisions also passed this session, some as part of the supplemental budget bill, and others as part of the omnibus education policy bill. Key policy provisions include:

• Read Act training timeline extended to July 1, 2026.
• Literacy incentive aid eligible uses expanded to include Read Act training, employing intervention specialists, teacher stipends, and approved screeners.
• Special education pipeline grants expanded to include other licensure tiers.
• New flexibility to use food service funds for cafeteria furniture.
• Establishment of a reserve for student support personnel aid to allow more time to utilize those funds.
• Extension of the hold-harmless for statewide compensatory funding.
• New statewide health standards.
• Special education paperwork reduction by allowing a stand-alone developmental assessment for physical education.
• Delay of the civics graduation requirement to 25-26 school year.
• Establishment of school district cell phone policies.
• Clearer guidelines and timelines for flexible learning year programs.
• Task force on ELL programs, teacher and staff compensation, and student attendance and truancy.

Other proposals advanced outside of the supplemental budget or policy bills include:

• A clarification on the use of prone restraint for school resource officers.
• Pension changes including moving up the effective date of the normal retirement age from 66 to65 and extending the earnings limitations for retired educators for another three years.
• Changes to the Paid Family and Medical Leave, including an increase in the payroll tax (effective January 1, 2026) from 0.7% to .88%.
• Allowing appointment of a school board vacancy, rather than a special election, for a vacancy that occurs less than two years before the expiration of the term.
• Cybersecurity incident reporting requirements to Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

It’s also important to note what provisions didn’t pass. They include:

• Unemployment insurance for striking employees.
• 15 minute minimum for school lunch.
• $25 minimum for hourly employees.
• Adding more requirements to World’s Best Work Force.
• Student attendance reporting requirements.
• Cardiac emergency response plans, drills, AED multiple locations.
• Graduation requirement to complete FAFSA.
• Mental health screening for all students.
• Ban on bird hatching.
• Open meeting law changes.

Thank you!

Thank you for your advocacy throughout the session. Your outreach and relationships with your elected officials are important in helping advance MASA’s priorities and concerns. We heard repeatedly from legislators they heard your message about mandates and the budget challenges your districts face. We appreciate your involvement and engagement in this session!

Looking to the 2025 legislative session

Although the 2025 legislative session does not begin until January 14, our advocacy work continues year-round. Please remember to connect with your elected officials over the interim and continue to let them know what is happening in your district along with the needs of your district.

As MASA begins to consider legislative priorities for the next session, we want to hear your ideas. Please share your thoughts with me or Deb Henton so we can discuss them during our fall legislative planning meetings. Your input is invaluable to shaping our agenda.