S257 - 2026 Appropriations Act. (SL 2026-41)

• For a county that was ineligible for low-wealth supplemental funding in the prior year, the State Board of Education (SBE) must allocate the full amount of funding calculated by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
• For a county that received low-wealth supplemental funding in the prior year but is no longer eligible, the SBE must allocate funding equal to 70% of the low-wealth supplemental funds the county received in the prior school year.
• For a county that was ineligible for low-wealth supplemental funding for the prior year and continues to be ineligible, the SBE is prohibited from allocating low-wealth supplemental funds to the county.
• For an eligible county that qualifies for an increase or decrease in low-wealth supplemental funding, DPI is prohibited from increasing or decreasing the amount of funding provided to a qualifying county by greater than 30%.

Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, DPI must calculate and allocate supplemental funding for low-wealth counties in accordance with this section using an amount of funds not to exceed the amount of funds appropriated for that purpose by the General Assembly for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. This limitation does not apply to additional funds appropriated by the General Assembly for salary and benefit increases.

This section became effective July 7, 2026, and applies to allocations of low-wealth supplemental funds beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.