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State Representative Jerry Newton
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5369
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
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NEWTON & DITTRICH VOTE TO PRESERVE SCHOOL FUNDING DURING BUDGET CRISIS
ST. PAUL, MN - This week the Minnesota House of Representatives passed three bills that will keep Minnesota schools whole through the state’s worst ever budget crisis. From pre-school to college, House DFLers prioritized education funding, holding schools harmless from budget cuts over the next two years. Rep. Denise Dittrich (DFL - Champlin), Rep. Jerry Newton (DFL - Coon Rapids) and their colleagues in the House made a commitment this year to minimize the effect of the budget deficit on students.
“Even in the most difficult economic circumstances, we need to maintain our commitment to Minnesota students," said Rep. Dittrich. “I’m proud of the work we’ve done to make certain every student continues to receive a quality education despite a record deficit. Our parents and grandparents maintained their commitment to public education during good times and bad - and Minnesota has much to show for its highly-educated workforce. It’s our turn to pass on those same opportunities to our children.”
Education bills passed by the Minnesota House this week included the following major provisions:
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION - HF2088
• Invests $455 million in Minnesota’s early childhood education system to narrow the achievement gap
• Preserves early childhood care and education programs, and protects restored funding levels
• Begins implementing a voluntary statewide quality rating system
• Creates a Director of Early Learning to coordinate and align early care and education programs
• Utilizes $26 million in federal recovery funds to reduce the basic sliding fee childcare waiting lists
• Provides a 2% increase in provider reimbursement rates
K-12 EDUCATION - HF2
• Provides dependable, stable funding for education in difficult economic times
• Reduces mandates to help school districts save money and operate with more efficiency and flexibility
• Paves the way for significant school funding reform when the economy recovers by beginning a four year phase-in of the New Minnesota Miracle by 2014
• Reforms special education mandates to help school districts reduce costs and operate more efficiently
• Maintains current funding of $13.7 billion for FY2010-11 using delayed payments and federal recovery funds to offset cuts to general education aid
• Strengthens oversight, governance, and financial management of charter schools
• Creates a temporary alternative path to a high school diploma for students who fail 11th grade math GRAD tests without sacrificing rigor
HIGHER EDUCATION - HF869
• Utilizes federal recovery dollars at the University of Minnesota and the MnSCU system for the next two years and directs that those resource must be used to hold down tuition
o Tuition cannot exceed 5% per year at MnSCU campuses
o Tuition cannot increase more than $300 per year for the next two years at the U of M
• Directs the University of Minnesota to use federal recovery dollars to create a new scholarship to help offset the impact of rising tuition for middle income students
• Improves the State Grant Program by increasing the tuition maximum for 4-year programs by $100 and increasing the living and miscellaneous expense by $700
A provision authored by State Rep. Jerry Newton in the K-12 Finance bill will provide significant savings for Anoka-Hennepin District #11 and other Minnesota schools statewide. Newton’s efforts will reform special education mandates to help school districts reduce costs and operate more efficiently. The special education reform in HF2 will clarify and reduce some of the burdensome special education mandates for schools. It also brings Minnesota statues into compliance with federal requirements.
“The bottom line is these reform efforts will save schools money and give them needed flexibility to spend more money in the classroom,” said Rep. Newton. “By combining thoughtful reform with sound budgeting, we can make school funding in Minnesota more efficient and better suited to provide every student a nation-leading education.”
More information on the education bills passed by the Minnesota House of Representatives this week can be found online at www.house.mn.
News Items
- LOCAL LAWMAKERS HELP DELIVER NEEDED RELIEF TO FLOOD, TORNADO VICTIMS - (Posted: 2010-10-19 00:00:00)
- REP. NEWTON STANDS UP FOR SCHOOLS - (Posted: 2010-05-12 00:00:00)
- A SAFE PLACE FOR ALL KIDS TO PLAY - (Posted: 2010-04-21 00:00:00)
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