Education bonding proposals

Building, preserving and demolishing facilities was the topic of the day for the House Education Finance Committee on Feb. 8 when education administrators and elected officials brought forward more than $60 million in bonding proposals.

Each described the need for repairs and renovations at various schools and libraries across the state. All proposals were held over for possible bonding bill inclusion.

Pam Paulson, senior policy director at the Perpich Center for Arts Education, was one of many testifiers. She said, “We are charged to be innovative. We are charged to be on the cutting edge. … And we are now behind.”

The committee heard arguments supporting the following six bills:

• HF1778 seeks a $20 million cooperative facilities grant for the United South Central district. Administrators say their current building is aging and inadequate for the student population. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Tony Cornish (R-Vernon Center). Sen. Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont) sponsored its Senate companion, SF1693, which awaits action by the Senate Capital Investment Committee.

• HF1794, sponsored by Rep. Patti Fritz (DFL-Faribault), seeks $10.5 million for asset preservation, building demolition, parking lot creation, student housing and a technology center at the Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and Blind. Its companion bill SF1640, sponsored by Sen. Mike Parry (R-Waseca), awaits action by the Senate Capital Investment Committee. Gov. Mark Dayton recommended $7.6 million for this project in his bonding request.

• HF1851 seeks $2 million to fund library accessibility and improvement grants that would aid in renovation projects for various community libraries throughout the state. The bill’s, sponsored by Rep. Carol McFarlane (R-White Bear Lake). Its Senate companion, SF1867, is sponsored by Sen. John Carlson (R-Bemidji).

• HF1997, sponsored by Rep. Greg Davids (R-Preston), seeks $20 million to build a prekindergarten-12 facility in the Rushford-Peterson school district. A 2007 flood extensively damaged the current century-old building. The companion, SF1602, is sponsored by Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona).

• HF2001 seeks $7 million for Northeast Metro No. 916, an intermediate district that serves metro area school districts. The grant would help build a kindergarten-8 school designed to serve the district’s Level IV special education students. McFarlane sponsors this bill. Its Senate companion, SF1666, is sponsored by Sen. Pam Wolf (R-Spring Lake Park).

• HF2106, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley), seeks $1.4 million in capital improvements at the Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley. This is another project Dayton has recommended, who supported the $263,000 outlined in the original version of the bill. The companion, SF1827, is sponsored by Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park).

All Senate companions await action in the Senate Capitol Investment Committee.