This year, St. Cloud schools missed out on an additional $212 per student because the district was classified as “non-metro.”
The state’s Location Equity Levy gives metro districts $424 per student, while districts designated as non-metro receive half of that.
With roughly 9,500 students in the district, the classification difference is worth about about $2 million to St. Cloud.
“We’re not sure how we got left out,” Rep. Zachary Dorholt said Thursday after a meeting with school board members.
Dorholt sat at an elementary student-sized table with Rep. Tama Theis, Rep. Jeff Howe, Sen. John Pederson and board members to discuss the district’s 14-point legislative agenda.
Some people say the original interpretation of the Location Equity Levy included St. Cloud, Dorholt said, but the district may have been dropped during final stages of the state’s budgeting process.
“It’s always addressed school districts with unique challenges,” Dorholt said.
That includes districts with higher rates of English language learners or poverty. And those are challenges St. Cloud shares with metro districts, leaders said.
“We need it more than some of the (districts) who are getting it,” Dorholt said.
The Location Equity Levy item was at the top of the 2014 legislative platform school board members presented during the meeting.
“As of right now, we’re having to ask that of our community,” said Superintendent Willie L. Jett II, regarding the levy.
Board members also hope for more special education funding and additional dollars for students learning English.
Howe said he would like to streamline special education paperwork so districts aren’t duplicating work for both federal and state government.
“Right now they are spending an exorbitant amount of time doing that paperwork,” Howe said.
School board member Bruce Mohs said special education funding is a high priority, as the district currently uses general funds to supplement funds for special education requirements.
“If that were funded, that would significantly alter our need to go out for operational levies,” Mohs said. “We would not have to do that.”
Link to article: http://www.sctimes.com/article/20140116/NEWS01/301160053/Funding-equity-dominates-St-Cloud-schools-legislative-agenda