Bill > HB5434

This bill creates a two-year moratorium, or pause, on school closures and consolidations to allow the Legislature time to revise the school aid funding formula, which is the system used to distribute money to schools. During this pause, any planned school closings or consolidations will be halted unless the Legislature's funding formula revisions are enacted and are significant enough to alter the decision about closing or consolidating a school. The state will also provide funding to cover the minimum expenses associated with any paused school closings or consolidations, matching the estimated savings from those actions. Furthermore, if a school closure process is underway but not yet complete, it will be paused to give the local school board the option to hold a special election for an emergency levy, which is a type of tax increase to raise funds, or to wait for the Legislature's funding formula revisions. This pause does not apply to schools that have already been closed.