Saint Paul, Minnesota – The Minnesota House of Representatives passed the conference committee report on the Omnibus E-12 Education Finance and Policy Bill on a bipartisan vote of 78 to 56. State Representative Mary Sawatzky (DFL – Willmar) voted in favor of the legislation. The bill sets the ambitious goal of closing the achievement gap, reaching the nation’s highest high school graduation rate, 100 percent literacy by third grade, and having every graduate ready for college or career.
The Omnibus E-12 Education Finance and Policy Bill fully funds all-day, every day kindergarten and invests $40 million in early learning childhood scholarships. All-day K and early childhood education are proven tools to improve test scores, close the achievement gap, and prepare students for future academic success.
In addition to increased funding for kindergarten and early childhood, the bill also increases the basic funding formula for K-12 schools by three percent over the biennium, an increase of over $234 million, or $156 per pupil.
“A world-class education system is the foundation of a world-class economy,” said Rep. Sawatzky. “Education is opportunity – opportunity for Minnesotans to live the American Dream, work their way into the middle class, and leave a better future for their children. This budget will help provide those great educational opportunities to all of Minnesota’s students.”
The DFL Budget also contains a new strategy to close the revenue equity gap and reduce property taxes. The budget enhances the equity formula guaranteeing all districts at least $300 per student of equity and referendum revenue, includes a new Student Achievement Levy and raises and indexes operating referendum levy equalization factors to reduce property taxes. The provisions are expected to be in the final Omnibus Tax Bill.
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.
As part of building the world’s best workforce, the Omnibus E-12 Education Finance and Policy Bill would implement several necessary 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 career and college ready, and innovation grants that promote new ways to increase student achievement will be available to schools.
“No matter where you live, or what your income is, every Minnesota child deserves a high-quality education so they have every opportunity to succeed in our competitive global economy,” said Rep. Sawatzky. “Our budget invests in our future and those investments will bring our state a stronger middle-class economy and a brighter tomorrow.”
Rep. Sawatzky encourages constituents to contact her with any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas on any legislative topic. Rep. Sawatzky can be reached by phone at 651-296-6206 or by email at rep.mary.sawatzky@house.mn. Constituents can also visit Rep. Sawatzky’s AreaVoices blog, legislative page and sign up for email updates.