SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives advanced a supplemental education budget plan to deliver over $3 billion worth of new investments to support students, families, public schools, and school staff. Rep. Julie Sandstede (DFL – Hibbing), the Vice Chair of the House Education Finance Committee, voted in favor of the legislation.
“It’s no secret Minnesota students have experienced some incredible difficulties over the past two years. Our House Education budget makes the urgent investments students, educators, and communities need right now,” Rep. Sandstede said. “The investments in mental health, early learning, academic support, and other important resources in this bill will help continue Minnesota’s tradition of offering a world class education for all Minnesota students.”
The bill includes a focus on literacy and overall academic success, including the BOLD literacy package and funding for Math Corps. The bill’s mental health package, totaling $475 million, will address the shortages of school support personnel that benefit students’ social, emotional, and physical health, and fund wrap-around services for students. The legislation provides dedicated funds to support hiring around 1,100 student support personnel so that students have greater access to school counselors, social workers, psychologists, and nurses.
Rep. Sandstede authored three provisions included in the legislation. One measure increases allowances to address up-front costs of consolidation. The measure is retroactive, covering the Rock Ridge (Virginia/Eveleth-Gilbert) and Ada-Borup-West (Ada-Borup/Norman County West) district consolidations during the pandemic. The budget includes Rep. Sandstede’s proposal to fund the Concurrent Enrollment Teacher Partnership, supporting high school teachers to earn the 18 master’s level credits in their field required to teach concurrent enrollment courses. The bill also includes her proposal to address transportation sparsity aid, increasing the percentage of unreimbursed school district transportation state revenue from 18.2% to 39.25%.
The bill addresses the more than $700 million funding shortfall for special education services, as well as the nearly $150 million deficit in English Language Learner services. The proposal provides more than $500 million annually over the next three years to reduce the amount school districts pay to make up for these shortfalls, reducing the special education “cross-subsidy” by over 55%, and would eliminate the English Language Learner cross-subsidy by 2026.
Opportunity gaps begin long before kindergarten. Access to early learning is one of the best ways to prevent them in the first place. The plan expands Early Head Start and awards early learning scholarships to more than 20,000 low-income and vulnerable infants and toddlers. Once these children turn four, they’ll have access to a statewide, voluntary pre-kindergarten program through local schools, Head Starts, and licensed child care providers. Together, these investments will put thousands of children on the path to success in kindergarten, school, and life.
The House DFL proposal uses Minnesota’s historic budget surplus to provide $1.15 billion in additional education funding in fiscal year 2023 and $2.12 billion in fiscal years 2024 and 2025. In comparison, Senate Republicans have included 0.35% of the state’s $9.25 billion budget surplus to fund the resources Minnesota students and schools are counting on.