01.28.10: SAB Update
By David Walrath
For the past week the Small School Districts’ Association (SSDA) has been lobbying to maintain state school facility grants at their current level. SSDA lobbied the State Allocation Board (SAB) members and staff, but were unsuccessful. On Wednesday, January 27 the state, through the actions of the SAB, continued its withdrawal from the 1998 SB 50 School Facility Program agreement made with school districts. For the past four years, it has been obvious that the state was hesitant to fund 50% of new school construction costs even while mandating new costs on school facility construction projects. For the past year it has been obvious that the state would not meet its commitments for funding apportionments and making fund releases after school districts met all legal requirements for such apportionments and fund releases.
The SAB did agree to apportion funds to school districts at its February 24 meeting. There was no indication, however, that there would be continuing funding or significant funding for the remaining unfunded projects. Additionally, the SAB indicated they wanted to create a two-tier school facility program. The SAB did this by deciding to treat 2009 unfunded projects differently than how they will treat 2010 unfunded projects. This is a change from the historic practice of treating all projects the same at the time of apportionment.
Whether the SAB will continue this two-tier system for new construction is unclear; however, it appears very clear that reduced funding will be continued for modernization projects.
The SAB tabled any decision to increase grants to provide closer to 50% of new construction project costs. To paraphrase one staff person from earlier in the week: “Where in the law does it say we have to provide 50%?”
The building industry association said: “That was then, this is now” as the reason why they no longer want to pay their fair share in regard to the deal they supported in 1998.
The current School Facility Program is being challenged. Learn more on how to protect your school facility projects and funding at the SSDA Annual Conference in Sacramento, April 14-16, 2010. Please click here for more information.
