The Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday approved the Department of Public Instruction budget package with a mix of ongoing per‑pupil increases, targeted grants and one‑time investments and recommended the bill for passage.

Committee amendments reflected two linked priorities: move recurring costs to ongoing revenue sources and reserve one‑time strategic investments for targeted grants. The committee adopted staff recommendations to fund a 3%/3% per‑pupil increase in appropriations (matching the K‑12 bill amendment discussed earlier), continue several ongoing professional and rural programs, and fund a program expansion to cover free school meals up to 225% of the federal poverty level at an estimated cost of $7.3 million.

Major items highlighted in committee
- Per‑pupil funding: Committee aligned DPI funding with the 3/3 per‑pupil approach approved in the K‑12 bill discussion and transferred available stabilization and trust fund resources to partially backfill recurring costs.
- Free‑meal eligibility: Committee included a $7.3 million appropriation to expand breakfast/lunch eligibility to students at or below 225% of the federal poverty level. Staff emphasized participation depends on households completing the federal free‑and‑reduced application and that program cost estimates assume high participation.
- Targeted and ongoing grants: Committee continued funding for adult education, RISE mentoring, paraprofessional‑to‑teacher pipelines, statewide reading tools and regional educational association support (five or six REAs; the amendment set REA funding at $50,000 per year). Committee declined some House proposals (centers of excellence, larger science center grants) and reduced or held other proposals to prior levels.
- School for the blind and technology: Committee approved a second‑year FTE and funding for technology services for school for the blind programming.

Questions and process notes
Staff noted the committee moved some one‑time items to SIFT/strategic investment lines, and used carryover (turnback) funds and Common Schools Trust Fund monies to reduce general fund pressure. Senators pressed on participation barriers for free meals, the effect of per‑pupil increases on local levies and the capacity of the school revolving loan fund.

Votes and next steps
- Amendment to 10‑13 (package described above): passed on roll call (committee recorded a passage with majority support). Several senators registered opposition to specific items (for example, one senator opposed removal of a $10 million science center grant) but the amendment carried.
- Motion for due pass as amended on 10‑13: committee recommended due pass as amended (roll call recorded; committee vote reported in transcript).

Ending: The DPI package advances to the Senate floor with appropriations’ changes; the committee indicated further budget alignment will take place in the main appropriation bills.