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Minnesota House of Representatives

State Representative Barb Yarusso

507 State Office BuildingState Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-0141

For more information contact: Susie Merthan 651-296-2955

Posted: Apr 1 2013 10:00AM
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2013 Session Update

Dear neighbors,

We are over halfway through the 2013 legislative session.  Policy committees have reached their deadlines and finance committees will now be meeting to decide which policy bills they can fit into their budget targets.  Finance committee deadline is April 19.  These finance committees will determine our state spending priorities.  We must close the $627 million budget deficit and balance the budget into the future.

In addition to solving the deficit, the legislature must also pay back the $854 million we owe to our schools due to previous borrowing.  The House budget has allocated an additional $700 million to education, and there is a renewed focus on all-day kindergarten in Minnesota.

All day kindergarten has been proven to help kids succeed in school.  All-day K improves school readiness, promotes higher academic achievement, reduces achievement gaps and decreases the need for special education services in later years.  This proven method of preparing our students is a great investment in Minnesota’s future.

While Minnesota is often thought of as a leader in education, we are behind in funding all-day kindergarten.  Iowa, South Dakota, Wisconsin and 26 other states fund all-day K. Many school districts have implemented some type of all-day K, and 44 percent of Minnesota kids attend all-day K.  Unfortunately, many schools charge steep fees for these programs and parents can end up paying as much as $4,000 per year. 

Early education investments, like all-day kindergarten, are proven to be one of the most cost-effective ways to help our students to be academically successful.  Minnesota has a history of having world-class schools.  Investing in all-day K will help us towards a comprehensive education system that takes students from preschool through college and onto a productive career and adult life.  All-day kindergarten is a good investment because it gets kids off to a good start.

Please feel free to contact me with your input on all-day kindergarten or any other issues.  Now that policy committees have completed their work, my schedule is somewhat more open.  I invite you to stop by my office in St. Paul.  I would appreciate any input you have on legislative issues. I can be reached by phone at (651) 296-0141 or by email at rep.barb.yarusso@house.mn. 

Sincerely,

 

Barb Yarusso

State Representative

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