ST. PAUL, MN—The Minnesota House passed the K-12 Education omnibus bill Monday morning, which includes $400 million in increased funding for K-12 and early education initiatives as part of a bipartisan compromise agreement between House and Senate leaders. The bill increases per-pupil funding for every student in every school district across the state by an average of $205. It also includes $60 million in new funding for early learning pre-kindergarten scholarships and school readiness aid, additional funding for school facility maintenance, and teacher licensure reform that will streamline Minnesota's complex licensure process for out-of-state teachers.
The bill also includes provisions to reduce the number of state-mandated tests, as well as the amount of time schools are able to spend on testing, which will allow more time for instructional time and learning in the classroom.
Representative Roz Peterson, R-Lakeville, served as a House conferee on the K-12 Education conference committee. The committee report was signed by all five GOP conferees in the House, as well as five conferees in the Senate including four DFL members.
"This bipartisan agreement prioritizes Minnesota students, investing significant new money in our K-12 schools and early learning," Peterson said. "Our bill makes historic investments in proven early learning programs, targeting taxpayer dollars where they can have the most benefit, and will make a real difference for thousands of students across the state."
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