Senate Democrats today passed a partisan Education Policy Omnibus bill that fails to address key concerns raised by teachers, parents, and school leaders. The bill does little to help school districts manage the dozens of unfunded mandates passed in recent years, fails to take meaningful action on school safety, and offers no real solutions for the growing teacher shortage. 

“The real problem with this bill is what’s missing, not what’s in it,” said Sen. Julia Coleman (R-Waconia), Republican Lead on the Education Policy Committee. “When I chaired the Education Policy Committee earlier this session, we heard directly from educators and families asking for mandate relief and better safety protections. Democrats had the opportunity to fix these problems but chose not to.” 

School districts across Minnesota are facing a combined budget shortfall of more than $280 million. This is largely due to expensive, one-size-fits-all mandates passed by the Democrat majority. Rather than offering relief, this bill adds new mandates that override local control. 

A Republican amendment offered by Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) aimed at protecting girls sports would require athletic participation to align with biological sex in order to ensure fairness and safety in competition. Despite the measure reflecting principles similar to Title IX, every Democrat in the chamber voted against it. The vote sent a clear message that Democrats are unwilling to stand up for equal opportunities and safety for female athletes. 

“While we would have liked to see some of these mandates repealed, flexibility restored to local school boards, and our girls sports protected, it is encouraging that Democrats didn’t go even further with more costly proposals,” Sen. Coleman said. “We’ll keep fighting to remove burdensome mandates and focus on improving classroom learning and school safety.” 

Other provisions included in the bill: 

• Allowing a personal finance course to count as a math credit for graduation 

• Removing a content exam requirement for Tier 1 teacher license renewals 

• Transfers responsibility for credentialing education paraprofessionals from the teacher licensing board to the Department of Education 

• Updates charter school regulations to improve oversight and prevent conflicts of interest 

• Confirms that students in charter and tribal schools are eligible for PSEO 

• Minor adjustments to the READ Act, including reduced instructional time to allow for teacher training 

 Several amendments offered by Republicans were adopted: 

• Expedited rulemaking: Removes the Department of Education’s ability to use expedited rulemaking—a process they’ve acknowledged they don’t currently use. (Sen. Michael Kreun, R-Blaine) 

• Data requests: Allows schools to fulfill large data requests in sections on a rolling basis, giving them the flexibility to manage workloads while still complying with transparency laws. (Sen. Michael Kreun, R-Blaine) 

• Dismissed Teacher Reporting: Closes a loophole in current law that allowed schools to rescind a teacher’s contract due to misconduct without reporting it to PELSB. This change ensures that dismissals for bad behavior are reported regardless of contract status. (Sen. Julia Coleman, R-Waconia) 

• Cell phone use: Clarifies policy for schools with both K–8 and 9–12 students in the same building, giving local districts flexibility to set appropriate cell phone rules. (Sen. Jeremy Miller, R-Winona) 

 Republicans offered many additional amendments that were not adopted, including: 

• No unfunded mandates: Prohibits new mandates unless they come with funding. Existing mandates have placed major financial stress on schools without improving student outcomes. 

• School safety parent notification: Requires schools to notify families when violent incidents occur, rather than leaving them to hear about it through social media or word of mouth. 

• Whistleblower protection: Shields teachers and staff from retaliation if they speak up about violence in schools. Some educators have reported facing consequences for raising concerns. 

• Non-binary pronouns: Prohibits schools from implementing the Minnesota Department of Education’s rule requiring instruction on non-binary gender pronouns in third grade.
   

“This bill misses the mark on what schools are actually asking for,” said Sen. Coleman. “Our job should be to remove barriers, not add more. Students and teachers deserve better.” 

 The bill passed off the Senate floor on a 39-26 vote and now heads to a conference committee of Senate and House members to work out the final details.