What is happening at the State Legislature?
Both the House and Senate have passed their E12 Education Omnibus bills. What's the next step? Conference committees will be appointed to work out the differences between the two bills. This bill will ultimately reach the Governor for his signature or veto.
The House E12 Omnibus bill (HF934) passed off the floor on a party line vote at 2:30 am Wednesday, March 30. During the amendment process, the Early Childhood Quality Rating System was removed and the integration statute reinstated - not the funding, just the rule. Another added provision extends the date for charter schools to find new authorizers. (E12 House Omnibus Bill Summary)
In the Senate, a great deal of debate was focused on the Literacy Aid provision since no bill was ever heard in committee explaining what a provision like this would mean.
One change did happen in committee-the Finance Committee chair added a provision that required the state to pay interest on the money held back during school payment shifts. This was something that national bonding companies were requiring. (E12 Senate Omnibus Bill Summary)
Provisions the LAC supports in the House and Senate omnibus education finance bills:
- Increasing the basic formula allowance for the next two fiscal years by different amounts in the House and Senate bills at this point.
- The mandate reductions in the bills.
- The House bill increases the extended time revenue which allows us to provide more after-school and summer school learning opportunities for students.
- Both the House and Senate include the provision that "Does not require school districts to provide education services to non-resident students from another state who do not have an IEP and do not have a tuition agreement." This directly affects Robbinsdale Area Schools' ability to receive reimbursement for the cost of educational services we provide to students from the Hazelden Treatment Facility.
- The Senate bill only allows transfers from a school district's operating capital of $51/per pupil to the general fund for the next two years.
Provisions the LAC has concerns with in the House and Senate omnibus education finance bills:
- Special education growth factors removal. These costs are only expected to rise. Districts are already forced to cover costs for those mandated services which are not fully funded by the federal or state governments. This change will only cause a much greater cross subsidy for Robbinsdale Area Schools. (Provide a link to AMSD article on Special Ed freeze).
- Repealing the Integration Revenue Program: Robbinsdale Area Schools is a very diverse district serving a student population of approximately 43% students of color. This program is one that helps us to target closing the achievement gap.
- The House bill continues to fund the compensatory pilot projects while the Senate bill Freezes Compensatory Revenue at FY 2011 levels. Robbinsdale Area Schools receives approximately $8 million annually under this program and rates of students receiving free or reduced priced lunch is only projected to rise. Funds are used to provide services to students to help close the achievement gap. By capping these funds we will be hindered in these efforts to provide services to those students who most need them.
- The House bill repeals the Adult Basic Education (ABE) growth factor while the Senate and the Governor would lower the growth rate from 3% to 2%. Robbinsdale Area Schools has an excellent ABE program. If this provision passes, fewer students will be served at a time when unemployed Minnesotans are coming to ABE to improve their skills to become more employable. The growth factor also is important so that ABE can serve more students, and is not a built-in inflationary increase.
Call to Action:
Now it's your turn: "Democracy is not a spectator sport"
No matter what you believe, whether you think this is the right or wrong direction for the state, let your voice be heard. You may think that one call or one email doesn't matter- it does. Contact your legislators and the House and Senate leadership to tell them what you think. Take another opportunity and speak with your officials at Town Hall meetings. Don't believe that someone else will do it and that your input is not important. It is.
Continue to contact legislators and leadership express concern about freezing special education, repealing the integration rule and revenue, vouchers and tax credits for private schools. On the positive side, thank them for the overall level of funding for education and for the commitment to provide some mandate relief.
Several members of our LAC are attending this Parent Leadership Summit tomorrow to bring this knowledge back to work for the benefit of our school district.
Parents United's 9th annual
PARENT LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Where Do We Go From Here?
