Easter/Passover Break is next week, April 13-22. Legislators will be back in district during this time. If possible, schedule a time to meet with them.
Please ask
Sen. Gazelka and your Senator to increase the education target to at least $515 million to support 3% and 2% on the general education formula.
2019 Legislative Session
Week 14 - April 11, 2019 - SPECIAL EDITION
Senate E-12 Finance and Policy Omnibus Bill
With a lower target in the Senate, general education formula funding not what school board members hoped for.
Chair Nelson introduced the committee's E-12 bill with a walk-through on Tuesday afternoon. With a target of just over $200 million, some provisions, such as funds for the special education cross-subsidy, didn't make the bill or the level hoped. Here are the highlights:
The Senate has a target of $206 million. The proposed .5% and .5% increase will require most if not all school districts across the state to make budget reductions.
"Hello, My name is (full name) and I'm a school board member from (school district name). I am calling to ask you to support an education funding target of at least $515 million to support at least 3% and 2% on the formula. Anything short of that would mean (Insert the impact on your school district. Thank you for your time and consideration."
Special Education Paperwork Reduction
Three of the six special education paperwork mandate reductions were included to help reduce the burden of paperwork for special education teachers. It is our hope that all six of the New Ulm proposals will be adopted in conference committee.
"Hello, My name is (full name) and I'm a school board member from (school district name). I am calling to ask you to allow school board members to renew an existing operating levy with board approval. Thank you for your time and consideration."
Local control policy provisions included in the bill:
* Provides local school boards the authority to implement a Flexible Learning Year. (Support) * Expands board authority and flexibility for hiring CTE teachers; we are pleased there was resistance to the temptation to make changes to the newly implemented tiered licensure system. (Support)
* Requires the board to develop a process to receive a written complaint about a teacher under the code of ethics. (Oppose)
Other policy provisions in the bill include:
* The expansion of the duties of the Dyslexia Specialist and teacher training. We see these as the preferred way to meet the needs of dyslexia students as opposed to requiring statewide screening.
* We support the approach to a civics course embedded into the Social Studies standards; however, we do not support the statewide requirement of reporting of civics test passage rate to the Department.
* We appreciate the approach to Safety Assessment as opposed to mandating Threat Assessment Teams with a small modification for boards to
consider the protocols of the Minnesota School Safety Center rather than
be consistent with them.
Governor, House and Senate Comparisons
Upcoming Meetings and Events
The Legislature will be on Easter/Passover Break until Tuesday, April 23rd.
The Weekly Advocate is delivered via email each Monday and is your "go-to" for education legislation.
Minnesota School Boards Association | 507-934-8133 |
msba@mnmsba.org
General Education Formula 
Special Education Paperwork Reduction
Levy Renewal
