ST. PAUL, MN – Today, Governor Mark Dayton was joined by legislative leaders as he signed the K-12 Omnibus budget bill – the capstone of a historic session for education in Minnesota.
“For the past decade, lawmakers enacted budget cuts that shortchanged Minnesota’s students,” said Rep. Jeanne Poppe (DFL—Austin). “This year will go down in history as the ‘Education Session’ because we put money back into our schools to make sure every child receives a high-quality education. That kind of investment pays long-term dividends. We’re building a well-educated workforce that can compete in a global economy.”
This legislative session was highlighted by once-in-a-generation investments in our schools, including our state’s first commitment to all-day kindergarten for every child. Minnesota schools will receive over $240 million in new funding thanks to the budget agreed to by the Governor and DFL leaders, including millions for early learning, testing reform and special education.
The budget increases K-12 funding by $485 million, including:
More Funding For Every School in Minnesota. The budget invests an additional $234 million in the school funding formula, providing schools with an increase in funding in each of the next two years.
All Day Kindergarten for Every Child. The budget invests $134 million to help Minnesota school districts provide optional All-Day K to every student, free of charge. Currently, only 54% of Minnesota’s Kindergarten students have access to free all-day Kindergarten, with thousands of families having to pay out of pocket.
Reforming the Special Education Formula. The budget invests $40 million in special education reform, providing needed funding reform and greater funding equity for schools.
Early Learning Scholarships for 8,000 Kids. The budget invests $40 million in scholarships that will help thousands more children attend high quality child care and preschool to ensure that children are prepared for Kindergarten and beyond. Families will be eligible for up to $5,000 in scholarships.
Repaying our Schools. The budget accelerates repayment of the money that the state borrowed from our schools in previous bienniums.
Testing Reform to Improve How We Measure Student Achievement. The bill will help move away from punitive testing standards, to help districts implement college and career readiness exams.
Attachments:
Photo attachment: Governor Mark Dayton, Representative Erin Murphy, Speaker Paul Thissen, Representative Kathy Brynaert, Representative Paul Marquart: http://www.mn.gov/governor/images/E12_Bill_Signing.jpg
Additional Information:
http://mn.gov/governor/images/2013_budget_better_mn_all_day_k.pdf
Rep. Poppe encourages her constituents to contact her with any questions or comments. She can be reached by phone at (651) 296-4193, by email at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn, or by postal mail at 487 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.