2026 Legislative Session Summary
The 2026 session concluded with many major proposals failing to pass, despite extensive debate on school funding, taxes, and education policy. The session ran until the final adjournment deadline, with the Senate slowing or blocking many House-passed bills.
Key Takeaways
Advocacy mattered: Ongoing communication from school leaders and educators helped prevent potentially harmful changes to school funding and local control.
Limited major changes: Many high-profile issues—property tax reform, school choice expansion, literacy policy, and accountability changes—did not pass.
Focus on budget: The most significant outcome was the state budget, which includes continued underfunding of schools.
Major Issues
1. Property Tax
No reform passed despite heavy focus.
Senate favored transparency; House pushed for cuts.
Issue likely to return, especially during a future school funding formula rewrite.
2. School Funding & Budget
Schools face a combined underfunding of ~$362.7 million (FY26–FY27).
Additional uncertainty remains due to potential Governor budget actions.
Financial outlook for the state is challenging moving forward.
3. School Choice
No expansion of open enrollment or charter schools.
ESA funding increased by $10 million (now $60M total).
Legal challenges to ESA programs are still pending.
4. A–F School Report Cards
Did not pass legislatively.
Could still be implemented administratively by DESE/State Board.
5. Literacy Policy
Major literacy bill (HB 2872) failed.
Topic remains a priority and will likely return.
6. Income Tax
Proposed changes may go to voters.
Potential long-term impact on state revenue and school funding if approved.
7. Mandates & Governance
Various proposals (IEPs, bullying, transparency, etc.) did not pass.
Likely to reappear in future sessions.
Overall Impact
The session was defined more by what didn’t happen than what did.
Schools avoided major policy shifts, but funding challenges remain significant.
Many key issues are expected to return in future legislative sessions.