ST. PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House considered the Republican majority’s combined E-12 and Higher Education supplemental budget bill. On the E-12 side, other than some money toward school safety measures, the bill delivers little investment to Minnesota classrooms, fails to adequately address school districts’ special education costs, and doesn’t extend voluntary pre-K programming beyond next school year. In the higher education portion, the bill contained $4 million for Minn. State campus support, $1 million for a cyber security program at Metropolitan State University, and a meager $500,000 of one-time funding for the University of Minnesota.
Rep. Julie Sandstede (DFL – Hibbing) issued the following statement:
“Our students are counting on us to invest in their potential. We have a responsibility to deliver a world-class education and this piece of legislation could have provided much more support to our young people. This bill missed an opportunity to extend school-based pre-K for four-year-olds, to ensure our young learners get the academic start they need. I’ve also heard from many in the community about the need for more special education resources from the state. We were in a position to take a giant step forward on this, but the majority’s bill failed to do so, and districts will remain on the hook for more. The bill also largely turned a blind eye to Bureau of Indian Education schools and underfunds our colleges and universities.
“While I’m pleased my amendment to include funding for full-service community schools was included, the majority added a provision removing local control. The services students receive in school are crucial, but today’s students need support outside the classroom too, and their families, schools, and communities are best suited to determine how that looks, not the Legislature. The full-service community schools model has shown proven results by providing complete wrap-around support to ensure children, families, and entire communities can proposer. I’ll keep working on this innovative vision which can close our state’s opportunity gap.
“I look forward to continued work to ensure our students – all of our students – have the ability to achieve and succeed.”