State Representative Bob Barrett introduces Bridge to Equity in Education bill
Legislation would help the North Branch, Chisago Lakes and Forest Lake school districts
St. Paul–State Representative Bob Barrett, R-Lindstrom, this week introduced the Bridge to Equity in Education bill to provide equitable financial support to low-funded schools. Barrett’s legislation would help level the playing field for the North Branch, Chisago Lakes and Forest Lake school districts and others that currently receive below-average per pupil funding.
“This legislation is extremely important to our local schools, as it begins to shrink the gap between well-funded metro schools and districts like those in Chisago County that receive about 40 percent less per student,” Barrett explained. “All students, teachers and schools deserve the same opportunities regardless of their zip code. Kids in Chisago County are entitled to receive a similar opportunity to quality educational programs under our State Constitution.”
House File 755 creates a new source of state aid for school districts with per pupil education revenue that is far below the state average. The current, inequitable K-12 funding formula sends $13,000-$14,000 per student in Minneapolis/St. Paul/Minnetonka schools and only $8,500 per student in Chisago County and $8,000 per student in North Branch.
“The Bridge to Equity in Education Funding bill is only one step towards solving the problem of inequitable school funding, and taken together with other bills I am co-authoring, it will help move us in the right direction,” Barrett said.
Barrett’s bill has bi-partisan authorship and awaits a hearing in the House Education Finance committee.
—30—