Going through the tape of his hour-long committee appearance this afternoon, Ben Barnes, the governor’s nominee for OPM secretary, didn’t commit himself entirely to maintaining the state’s Educational Cost Sharing formula, which is taking a 15-percent hit this year when federal support evaporates.
“I am well aware that in making changes it’s important that you not harm any individual district in a way that makes it difficult for them to continue doing what they’re already doing,” he said. “We need to find ways to be deliberative and take our time to implement any significant changes. So I appreciate that in a time of large budget deficits and generalized austerity it will be most difficult to achieve a reworking of the formula or things of that nature.”