Senators Reject School Funding Formula Amid Budget Concerns

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Senators have rejected the public school financing formula proposed by the state education board for next year, at the request of Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Lawmakers in the current budget year boosted funding for K-12 public schools by $44 million outside of the annual financing formula. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education proposed to roll that money into the formula for the 2016-17 school year, to make it a permanent increase.

Edwards says the state can't afford that amid ongoing budget problems. He's proposing to cut the $44 million from public schools next year.

Education leaders say public schools will struggle with that hit.

But the Senate Education Committee agreed without objection Thursday to the request of its chairman, Sen. Dan "Blade" Morrish, to reject the formula.