Senate budget bill would increase key local aid accounts in FY15

The Senate Ways and Means Committee today released a $36.25 billion state budget recommendation for fiscal 2015 that will be debated by the full Senate next week.
 
Local aid highlights include:
 
• A $25 million increase for Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA), the same increase passed by the House and $25 million more than recommended by the governor in his budget bill
 
• A $99.5 million increase for Chapter 70 education aid, the same as passed by the House and recommended by the governor
 
• An $18.7 million increase (36 percent) for regional school transportation reimbursements, which would bring the account to 90 percent of full funding, $16.7 million more than the House budget and $18.7 million more than the governor’s budget
 
• A $7.9 million increase for the special education circuit-breaker program to ensure full funding, $7.9 million more than in the governor’s budget [The House budget increases funding with a slightly different number that is also intended to fully fund the program.]
 
• A $5 million increase for charter school reimbursements, the same increase passed by the House and $5 million more than recommended by the governor, but still approximately $33 million below full funding
 
• A $3.2 million increase for municipal libraries, $2.8 million more than in the House budget and $3 million more than requested by the governor
 
• A $1 million increase for payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT), $1 million more than in the House budget and $1.5 million above the governor’s recommendation
 
• Level funding for McKinney-Vento student transportation reimbursements at $7.35 million, the same amount passed by the House and recommended by the governor but still $7.5 million below full funding
 
• $3 million for transportation reimbursements for out-of-district vocational students, $1.5 million more than the House [This program was not included in the governor’s recommendation.]
 
• $6.5 million for the Shannon anti-gang grant program, $500,000 more than the House budget but $1 million less than the governor’s recommendation [The funding level is $7 million this year.]

The Senate budget also includes reforms to provide equity by allowing all communities to count retiree health costs toward net school spending. This provision is also in the House budget.
 
Overall, the Senate plan would spend less than recommended by the governor in January, avoid the tax increases proposed in the governor’s budget (H. 2), draw less from the rainy day fund, and increase municipal and school aid accounts used to balance local budgets by $64.1 million above the amounts recommended in H. 2.
 
Senate members have until 3 p.m. on Friday, May 16, to file budget amendments. The Senate’s budget debate will begin on Wednesday, May 21.
 
• Link to Senate Ways & Means Committee’s budget site