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State Representative Joe Atkins
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4192
For more information contact: Christina Gosack 651-296-5524
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New State K-12 Funds Greet Returning Students
As students and teachers head back to school, State Representative Joe Atkins said local school districts will be better prepared to face the coming school year thanks to increased education funding passed during the 2005 Legislative Session.
"Hopefully, we'll see less of a need for our schools to hold referendums as a result of this," Atkins said. "It seems like our school districts are holding referendums just about every year to keep up with increasing costs."
The final education funding package included a 4% increase to per pupil funding for each of the next two years, and increased support for gifted and talented and early childhood education. Area schools will see the following additional funding over the next two years:
· South Saint Paul (ISD 6) - $2.6 million increase
· West Saint Paul/ Mendota Heights/ Eagan (ISD 197) - $4.4 million increase
· Inver Grove Heights (ISD 199) - $3.02 million increase
(increases are based on student population)
The education funding package also includes some performance pay for teachers. Local schools will be eligible to participate in the new program, which links teacher pay to performance measures developed by each district.
Representative Atkins congratulated students, parents and teachers on the recent announcement that Minnesota ranks number one in the nation in ACT scores for the first time in more than ten years. The ACT is the test most high school seniors take if they're going to college.
"Good schools are not an accident," commented Atkins. "We're lucky to live in a community that has consistently supported our schools."
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