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State Representative Jim Davnie
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-0173
For more information contact: Melissa Parker 651-296-8873
COMMUNITY NOTICE
Educational Funding letter
Dear Friend:
Thank you for contacting me to express your support for making K-12 and early education a top state budget priority this session. I appreciate you taking the time to comment on this important issue.
In 2003, the Governor and House Republicans cut education funding by $185 million. These were the first cuts to our students and classrooms in state history and I strongly opposed them. As a result of these cuts school districts across the state saw larger class sizes, teacher layoffs, and fewer educational opportunities for our kids. Minneapolis schools were targeted for cuts over three times deeper than the average school district in the state. It became quickly apparent that this was not the path that Minnesota citizens wanted to go down. Unfortunately, it took the Governor and the House Republicans a Special Session and a partial government shutdown to hear the public outcry for adequate K-12 education funding.
On the whole, I am pleased that the end result is an adequate education finance package for our students and our schools. The final plan increases the per pupil formula by 8 percent (4 percent for each year of the biennium) or double the amount of the Governor's original proposal. This amounts to an increase of $182 per student in 2006 and $191 per student in 2007. Minnesota schools will get a total increase of $800 million for the upcoming two years. This is the first state education funding increase schools have seen in three years and the largest in two decades. It means that the Minneapolis School District will receive an additional $11.8 million in funding each of the next two years, according to estimates by the House Research staff.
Other revenue increases include: $87 million for teacher pay reforms; $23 million for Special Education; $11 million for Gifted and Talented; and $1 million for Community Education. Minneapolis is in a good position to access some of these funding streams as well. Aid was also provided for on-line learning, telecommunications access, college level credits for high school students, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, nutrition, and libraries.
I am pleased to report that the final agreement also increases Early Family Childhood Education funding by $5.5 million over the next two years and Head Start by $4 million. It also includes $1 million for grant awards administered through the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation.
Unfortunately in the last hours of the Education Working Group deliberations we lost almost all funding for the High 5 program in Minneapolis that has been shown to be so effective in closing the achievement gap. This is particularly frustrating as it had been an item that all parties—the Senate, the House, and the Governor—seemed to be in agreement on. The school district is now reviewing its options for the future of the program.
Also important to Minneapolis schools was the passage into law of a provision that I authored that will allow the District and the teachers union to negotiate the role of seniority in teacher lay-offs. Previously they had been prohibited by state law from doing that.
This agreement is by no means perfect. I am disappointed that it includes a $139 million increase to local levy limits. I believe the state should take responsibility for education funding rather than relying on local property taxes to fund our schools. The increased levy authority will raise property taxes and create greater inequities in funding between districts. In spite of this, on May 13 I voted for the K-12 Education Finance bill because it brings desperately needed financial help to our schools and our students and is a step in the right direction. For my part, I pledge to continue work for an improved level of commitment to K-12 education.
Again, thank you for sharing your views and for the honor of representing you at the Capitol. Please always feel free to contact me whenever I can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Jim Davnie
News Items
- Republicans Choose Banks Over Middle Class Homeowners - (Posted: 2012-03-27 00:00:00)
- Health care access - (Posted: 2011-07-29 00:00:00)
- K-12 Finance and Policy - (Posted: 2011-07-28 00:00:00)
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