Bill passes state House to fund schools through April

News9.com

The state House passed supplemental funding for the Department of Education and the Corporation Commission Wednesday, which ensures schools will recieve all the money they need for April.

The agreement, reached last week with the governor and legislative budget leaders in the state House and Senate, gives $10 million to schools to fill a shortfall in the state's 1017 fund and $1.5 million for the Academic Achievement Awards program.

The Corporation Commission also received $3.1 million in part to supplement delayed federal funding.

"We want to watch the collections and be as accurate as possible when figuring out how much money our schools need," said Rep. Tad Jones, chairman of the House Education Committee. "There will be no reduction in the amount of money schools will receive for April; that was the immediate priority."

Budget leaders will continue to watch collections into the 1017 fund through April to get a more concrete figure for how much more money schools will need to be made whole for the rest of the fiscal year.

The appropriation bills all passed overwhelmingly in the House and will now move to the Senate for approval before going to the governor for his signature.