Accessibility menu
State Representative Debra Hilstrom
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-3709
For more information contact: Christina Gosack 651-296-5524
Column/LTE
Local Schools Better Prepared Thanks to New State Funding
As students head back to school this week, local schools will be better prepared to educate our children thanks to an increase in state support for K-12 education passed this legislative session. Our school districts including Osseo, Robbinsdale, Brooklyn Center and Anoka-Hennepin had to wait to set their final budgets until the extended legislative negotiations concluded. I'm proud to have worked with legislators of both parties and the Governor to pass the final K-12 education bill, which includes a 4% yearly increase in the per pupil funding formula. The bill's passage was welcomed by local superintendents, and will have differing impacts on each district.
Most of our school districts have undergone a series of deep budget cuts over the last three years due to flat state funding and rising operating costs. This year, because of the increase in state education funds, Robbinsdale School District was able to reduce its operating deficit from $3.5 million to $1.5 million, and projects a small surplus next year. Brooklyn Center will use the new state funds to keep from making deeper cuts this year and to help absorb the rising costs of transportation, health insurance and heating. Osseo is focusing the new funding on maintaining reasonable class sizes. Anoka-Hennepin schools will also use the new funding primarily to maintain existing programs. In addition, Robbinsdale, Osseo and Anoka-Hennepin were three of only five school districts in the state to receive targeted two-year grants to assist large school districts with increasing numbers of low-income students. Osseo, for example, is using this additional money to hire instructors and paraprofessional staff at schools with the greatest need.
Area legislators were able to work bi-partisanly to bring new funding to our schools, with the support of parents and educators. I will continue to work towards a renewed state commitment to education. Best wishes to students, teachers and parents for the coming school year, and please continue to contact me with your comments, questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Debra Hilstrom
State Representative
News Items
- ATTORNEY GENERAL LORI SWANSON, COUNTY ATTORNEY TONY PALUMBO AND JUDICIARY CHAIRS DEBRA HILSTROM AND RON LATZ ANNOUNCE GUARDIAN LEGISLATION - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 11:33AM)
- ATTORNEY GENERAL SWANSON, COMMERCE COMMISSIONER ROTHMAN, REPRESENTATIVE HILSTROM, AND SENATOR SIEBEN ANNOUNCE BILL TO PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM FRAUDULENT GOLD COIN DEALERS - (Posted: Jan 4 2013 11:43AM)
- ATTORNEY GENERAL LORI SWANSON, COUNTY ATTORNEY TONY PALUMBO AND JUDICIARY CHAIRS DEBRA HILSTROM AND RON LATZ ANNOUNCE GUARDIAN LEGISLATION - (Posted: 2012-11-30 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.