ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a comprehensive K-12 Education Finance and Policy bill today on a vote of 83 to 50.
The bill is designed to create the world’s best workforce by closing Minnesota’s achievement gap, reaching a 100 percent high school graduation rate, 100 percent literacy by third grade, and 100 percent career and college readiness by graduation — all by 2027.
In order to meet those goals, the bill fully funds all-day, every day kindergarten, invests in early learning childhood scholarships, and increases the basic funding formula for K-12 schools by over $315 million.
“The House DFL’s K-12 education bill creates brighter futures for every student in northern Minnesota,” said Rep. Carly Melin (DFL—Hibbing). “It puts more resources in our classrooms so kids can obtain the skills and knowledge they need to be college and career ready. When we provide students with a high-quality education, they’ll have an advantage in an increasingly competitive global economy.”
The combined funding increases per pupil for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015 for school districts in Rep. Melin’s legislative district include:
-
$578 per pupil for Hibbing Public Schools.
-
$561 per pupil for Chisholm Public Schools.
-
$645 per pupil for Nashwauk-Keewatin Public Schools.
-
$1,016 per pupil for Floodwood Public Schools.
-
$1,332 per pupil for St. Louis County Public Schools.
-
$1,068 per pupil for Greenway Public Schools.
In addition, the House K-12 education package contains a new strategy to close the revenue equity gap and reduce property taxes. The bill enhances the equity formula by guaranteeing all districts at least $300 per student of equity and referendum revenue, and raises and indexes operating referendum levy equalization factors to reduce property taxes.
The new investments in this education bill mark a sharp difference from the education bills of the past decade. Minnesota has been trapped in a cycle of deficits. And each time, schools, our kids, and our students paid the price. As a result, many Minnesota school districts have moved to 4-day school weeks. The state has slipped from the top 10 in funding to 22nd. Perhaps most alarming, Minnesota is now ranked 47th in the country in terms of classroom sizes.
“The key to building a strong future for Minnesota is directly tied to the quality of education we provide our students,” added Rep. Melin. “If we’ve learned anything over the past decade, it’s that we can’t cut our way to economic growth. Thankfully, we’re taking serious steps to move our state forward. The era of taking an all-cuts approach is over. The investments in the House DFL education bill are going to make a positive difference for teachers, parents, and most importantly our students.”
As part of building the world’s best workforce, the Omnibus K-12 Education Finance and Policy bill implements several key reforms. Schools will be required to develop strategic plans for student achievement and update the public on their status each year. The state will utilize the Minnesota Department of Education’s Regional Centers of Excellence to provide assistance and work with schools to reach their goals.
A new student assessment system will be implemented that ensures students stay on the path to being college and career ready, and innovation grants that promote new ways to increase student achievement will be available to schools.
Tomorrow, lawmakers will vote on the House Tax Bill, which includes the final piece of the House DFL education plan. The tax bill will include a provision to pay back the $854 million owed to Minnesota schools with a temporary surcharge on the wealthiest 0.5% of Minnesotans (joint filers earning more than $500,000 per year). In 2011, the Republican-led legislature enacted record borrowing from Minnesota schools.
Rep. Melin encourages her constituents to contact her with any questions about the House K-12 education omnibus bill. She can be reached by phone at (651) 296-0172 or toll free at (888) 726-0711, by email at rep.carly.melin@house.mn, or by postal mail at 515 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.