Madam Chair (Chair, Appropriations Subcommittee on MDE) presided over a brief session that approved draft minutes and voted to adopt a substitute to Senate Bill 165 (S1) and report the bill to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. The substitute was adopted and the bill was reported on roll calls that each went 2-1: Senators Bair and Kleinfeld voted yes; Senator Alberts voted no.

The subcommittee framed the measure as a modest budget package for the state Department of Education (MDE). Madam Chair said the package largely maintains the governor’s recommendation while adding targeted programs, noting that “it doesn't look like a lot of money, but the work that happens in the department supports the biggest, most important, most people, in our system as a whole.” The chair highlighted funding for a letters program and work on the science of reading, “close to a million dollars” for that effort, additional aid to libraries, expansion of career and technical education (CTE) programs including community health worker training, new curriculum development for teachers addressing artificial intelligence and social media, and continued expansion of school mental-health supports using the Medicaid funding model.

A new workload tied to statutory oversight also factored into the discussion. The chair said implementation of PA 11 (2024), which added oversight on schooling for children in foster care, requires sending staff into schools and therefore additional resources. The subcommittee did not provide a full line-item breakdown during the meeting; the chair described several program-level increases as relatively small in total dollars but important for students and teachers.

The minority vice chair, identified in the transcript as Senator Alberts, expressed support for several items but opposed final adoption because of staffing concerns. Alberts asked for department data on vacancies and whether existing positions could be repurposed instead of adding 15 new full-time equivalents (FTEs), saying, “it's hard to see historically what that looks like ... that's why it'll be a no.” No departmental vacancy figures were presented during the meeting.

The subcommittee also approved the draft minutes from the March 6, 2025, meeting by motion of Senator Kleinfeld, supported by Senator Alberts. With no further amendments offered, the chair moved to adjourn and the subcommittee voted to adjourn by unanimous consent.

Votes at a glance: Adopt substitute to SB165 S1 — Yes: Senator Bair; Yes: Senator Kleinfeld; No: Senator Alberts — Substitute adopted. Report SB165 S1 to Senate Committee on Appropriations — Yes: Senator Bair; Yes: Senator Kleinfeld; No: Senator Alberts — Bill reported.

The action sends SB165 S1, with the adopted substitute, forward to the Senate Committee on Appropriations for further consideration.