The Legislature’s Education Committee will spend the coming weeks reviewing the state’s new funding formula.

The new Essential Programs and Services calculates the amount that each school system should spend to provide a basic education. The state awards money based on those figures. The model was approved last year and is currently set to be phased in over the next four years.

School leaders had largely lauded the change, believing it would give them more money for necessities, such as technology. But when the Maine Department of Education released preliminary state aid figures this winter, many schools found they were getting much less money than they expected. Superintendents, school groups and municipal officials have flooded lawmakers with complaints.

This week, state Sen. John Nutting, D-Leeds, created a joint order forcing the Education Committee to review Essential Programs and Services and report out legislation by March 15. The joint order passed the House and Senate on Thursday.