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Legislative Update A Communication for Parents and Education Supporters in SEE Districts |
April 17, 2009 |
If this is your first Legislative Update from SEE - Welcome!
Brad Lundell, Executive Director for SEE, writes a blog on almost a daily basis. For up-to-date detailed information about what is happening at the capitol visit
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If this communication was forwarded to you, sign up to receive it directly by clicking on the box below: | |
The House Education Finance Omnibus Bill
The House Education Finance Omnibus bill - HF2 passed out of the K-12 Finance Committee and will be heard in the Finance Committee today. The bill will go to the House floor for a vote next week. The bill was not a surprise as nearly all of the provisions had been discussed in committee before.
- The payment schedule shift is set at 73% current year/27% subsequent year (currently it is 90/10). This is seven percentage points greater than the level proposed by the Governor. The House proposal shifts--or saves depending on your perspective--the state budget another $400 million beyond the Governor's budget.
- A property tax shift that is the same as recommended by the Governor is included.
- Unlike the Senate bill, which cuts school district funding ~3% beyond losses due to inflation, the House holds funding flat for the next two years. School districts would expect to receive the same amount of per pupil revenue that they received last year.
- The bill includes "The New Minnesota Miracle." It is phased in over a four-year period beginning in FY 2014.
- The Swails/McFarlane version of the shared-services initiative (contains no mandate or outside consultant) is in the bill.
- Schools would be able to start school before Labor Day in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years.
- Representative Newton's (and Senator Fobbe's) special education mandate reduction bill is contained in the House omnibus bill. Representative Davnie's language on the behavior intervention rule and limiting the use of locked timeout is also contained in the special education article.
- The one-time option from last year for districts to transfer $51 per pupil unit from their capital expenditure fund to their operating fund is extended for the next two years.
- Future OPEB bonding is limited with a requirement that voters approve this bonding.
- The House bill changes some aspects of integration aid, focusing it more closely on achievement as opposed to interracial contact and alters the distribution of integration aid (although not for a few years).
For all the provisions contained in the bill, the House Research Bill Summary is available for review. | |
Minnesota Miracle Bill in the House Omnibus Bill
The Minnesota Miracle bill that has been championed by Rep. Mindy Greiling and based on the work of PS Minnesota has been included in the House Education Finance Omnibus bill. It would be phased in over a four-year period beginning in 2014. Based on research, the Minnesota Miracle would rationally link education funding to state and federal proficiency requirements and grad standards through a new funding formula.
Rep. Greiling included the Minnesota Miracle bill in the omnibus bill for several reasons. First, now is not the time to fund the bill due to economic conditions. The concern was that the work would be lost. By putting it in law, the legislature will be forced to address it in the future and the conversation about adequate, equitable and predictable education funding would continue. Secondly, unlike some other areas of the state budget, the K-12 general education formula does not have inflationary adjustments built in. Thus, when talking about cuts, these other areas would experience cuts in their projected increases. Rep. Greiling feels as important as education is to the state; the legislature should have a commitment to fund it at cost similar to the other areas of government.
It will be difficult to keep the Minnesota Miracle in the Education Omnibus through the conference committee process. The Senate has shown very little interest in this bold reform. |
Legislators Eye Districts' Fund Balances
It seems there is growing interest by the legislature to capture some of the fund reserves that some districts across the state have managed to maintain in anticipation of emergencies or inadequate state funding. The legislature did this back in the 1980's. The technique they used was to calculate a district's fund balance on a per pupil basis. The legislature established a maximum fund balance threshold. Any amount that exceeded the threshold was deducted directly from the general education formula aid payment owed to the district from the state. |
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What You Can Do
The reality is both the House and the Senate need over $1.5 billion in tax increases for their budget proposals. The governor has promised to veto any bills with tax increases. Then there will be a mad scramble to find revenue elsewhere. We are hearing from concerned legislators that there is a growing apathy towards education both at the Capitol and across the state. However, legislators are hearing loudly from other special interest groups. If education supporters don't start putting pressure on their legislators - raiding district's fund balances and deeper cuts to education will be very temping perhaps even likely.
Communicate with your legislators. Decisions will be made that will impact our children and their schools for years to come. The Senate in particular needs to know if their proposal of a 3% CUT to education is supported by their constituents. It's as easy as writing a simple short email letting them know how important education is to you and how concerned you are about cuts to your school's funding. Click here to see who represents you. |
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If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Working together, we can make a difference.
Deb Griffiths
Director of Communications and Community Outreach
Schools for Equity in Education
612-309-0089
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Upcoming Scheduled Education Committee Meetings
These committee meetings were current when published but schedules are very fluid at the legislature. If you plan on visiting a committee meeting, verify the agenda by clicking on the links below.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Joint Meeting: E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division and K-12 Education Finance Division
Chair: Sen. LeRoy A. Stumpf
8:30 a.m. Room Basement State Office Bldg.
Agenda:
Overview of ECS; ECS issue in focus; Update on ARRA; Highschool exit exams; Community Schools
None Scheduled at time of publication. Click on the link above for updated information.
TUESDAY, April 21, 2009
8:30 AM
Joint Committee: K-12 Education Policy Committee, K-12 Education Finance Division, Senate E-12 Education Budget Division
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: Presentation by Education Commission of the States (ECS):
Overview of ECS
Aligning Education and Workforce Development
Update on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
High School Exit Exams and End of Course Exams
Community Schools: Locating Government Services in Schools |
Committee Deadlines
Deadlines Set: It may seem like minutae, but the legislative deadlines often play a huge role in how the business of the legislature unfolds, especially near the end of session. This year, with the major budget challenges facing the state, the deadlines will likely take on even greater importance.
The deadlines are as follows:
First Deadline--Friday, March 27: Last day for policy committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin (in English, last day for Senate policy committees to act on Senate Files and House policy committees to act on House Files).
Second Deadline--Tuesday, April 7: Last day for policy committees in either body to act favorably on bills or companions of bills that met the first deadline in the other house (in English, House policy committee may act upon HF XX if SF YY met the first deadline in the Senate).
Third Deadline--Thursday, April 16: Last day for House and Senate budget divisions to act favorably on omnibus education funding bills (This is the one the education community watches most closely, as Senator Stumpf and Representative Greiling will have to have the omnibus K-12 bills out of their divisions no later than this day).
Fourth Deadline--Wednesday, April 22: Last day for Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee to act favorably on an omnibus appropriations and tax bills.
Fifth Deadline--Thursday, May 7: Conference committee reports on omnibus appropriations and tax bills must be reported to the floor. This is new for this year and will give the Legislature nine working days to pass their major funding and tax bills and send them to the Governor for signature or veto. | |
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