St. Paul, MN--On Tuesday, Governor Dayton announced a proposal for $137.9 million in one-time Emergency School Aid. This would deliver needed funding for school districts across the state.
School districts in our community project a total budget shortfall of approximately $3.7 million for the upcoming school year. Adding special education and English language learner funding gaps and the shortfall grows to $62.8 million.
When school districts face deficits, teacher and staff reductions, class size increases, and educational opportunity cuts are often outcomes. The emergency aid proposal would increase school resources by two percent in the coming year, amounting to an additional $126 for every student in Minnesota.
Rep. Connie Bernardy (DFL-New Brighton) released the following statement:
“I am proud of our community's commitment to strong schools, preschoolers, and K-12 students. Education has made our state successful. We won’t continue to lead if we shortchange our schools. Securing emergency school aid for our students will help ensure our progress won’t be jeopardized for the sake of tax cuts for corporations. Preschool and K-12 students deserve every opportunity to succeed and have a bright future.”
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