The Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday approved amendments to House Bill 13‑69 increasing per‑pupil payments above the House proposal, raising school building bid thresholds, and expanding the state’s school construction revolving loan pool.

The amendment, presented by Senator Shibley, changes the house’s 2%/2% per‑pupil proposal to a higher “3 and 3” adjustment, raising the per‑pupil figure to $11,400 in the first year of the next biennium and $11,746 in the second year as presented in committee. Committee staff estimated the 3/3 change adds about $46.5 million to cost projections. The amendment also increases the amount transferred from the foundation aid stabilization fund into the school revolving low‑interest loan fund from $75 million to $100 million.

Why it matters: The committee said the larger per‑pupil increases reflect current cost pressures and are part of the biennium budget discussion. Separately, committee members added $25 million to preserve capacity for an anticipated Air Force base project that would be eligible for federal matching funds, and increased building bid thresholds to reduce mandatory bidding on smaller projects.

Key provisions and committee discussion
- Per‑pupil adjustments: Committee discussion clarified the base per‑pupil amounts and the cost of moving from a 2/2 to a 3/3 increase. Senator Shibley explained the amendment raises the current per‑pupil payment (committee cited $11,072) to $11,400 (first year) and $11,746 (second year).
- Building threshold changes: The amendment raises the capital project threshold under which schools need not solicit competitive bids; committee text moved the threshold from $200,000 to a higher threshold cited in committee as $2.5 million to reflect inflation and procurement changes.
- School construction revolving fund: The amendment increases the infusion to the school revolving low‑interest loan fund from $75 million to $100 million to preserve capacity for local projects while carving out $20 million contemplated for Air Force base projects that carry an 80/20 federal match.

Questions and reaction
Committee members asked how the changes affect the number of schools eligible for loans and whether enlarging eligible loan sizes would deplete revolving fund capacity sooner. Senate staff said increased loan caps and tiering require more initial capital to make the revolving fund self‑sustaining; one estimate in committee said the fund would likely need more capital than originally planned to sustain larger loan limits.

Votes and next steps
- Amendment 4003 (per‑pupil increase to 3/3; building thresholds; transfer to revolving loan fund): moved by Senator Shibley; seconded by Senator Sorbach. Amendment passed on roll call (committee reported passage with majority support).
- Motion for due pass as amended on House Bill 13‑69: moved by Senator Shibley; seconded. Committee recommended a due pass as amended (committee vote recorded as passage).

Ending: The committee assigned Senator Shibley as carrier to present the amended bill to the floor and noted the item would likely proceed to conference. Committee members said more detailed budget work will occur in upcoming appropriations actions.