Neighbors,

School resumed this week for most Minnesotans; it is a week children have been dreading and a week parents have been anticipating.

The health of our state, and our country, is strongly connected to the health of our education system. The Minnesota Constitution, in article 13, section 1, has it exactly right: The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people. We can’t survive without smart, educated, creative citizens.

Minnesota has always been a leader at developing these talented leaders. This year, Republicans made sure schools have the resources they need to continue that tradition. After months of negotiations, schools in Senate District 31 are set to receive significant funding increases thanks to our bipartisan K-12 budget. However, money alone will not improve our education system; we need to continually reform our schools so our kids can achieve their full potential.

An Overview of K-12 Budget Changes

Our budget increases spending for K-12 schools across the state by an additional $1.3 billion over the previous budget cycle – an $18.7 billion total investment – with most of that money going directly to the classrooms. It also includes 2% annual increases to the per pupil funding formula, which was a top priority of teachers and education advocates.

Benefits for Schools in Our District

Here’s how schools in our area would benefit under the Republican-proposed general education formula. These numbers represent the increase to the per pupil formula in the 2018 and 2019 school years.

• Anoka Hennepin school district will also receive one-time funding of $172,716 for early childhood education for the next two school years. The funding, which we added during end of session budget talks, can be used for the governor’s signature voluntary pre-K program or for a new, more flexible School Readiness Plus program. Anoka Hennepin was already receiving ongoing voluntary pre-K funding prior to this year.
• Anoka Hennepin schools will also benefit from the Compensatory Aid program, which Republicans made permanent this year. Compensatory Aid helps schools provide additional resources and services to students to help them overcome disadvantages. Since being implemented as a pilot program in 2005, Anoka Hennepin Schools have demonstrated significant success using compensatory aid to help close their achievement gap. They will now be able to count on that funding every year going forward.
• Bar None is a residential treatment facility in St. Francis, which helps students with behavioral or substance issues get back on the right path. We passed a clarification in the K-12 bill that allows the school to apply to the commissioner of Education to recover unreimbursed special education costs, so the facility will continue receiving the funding it needs to provide their important services.

Important Reforms We Delivered

Our bipartisan budget also included two important reforms Republicans pushed for this session.

• We overhauled the state’s teacher licensing system, which had been criticized by the Legislative Auditor as confusing and duplicative. Republican reforms simplify the process, making it easier to get more experts and qualified teachers into the classrooms.
• We improved the policies that govern teacher layoffs. Traditionally, districts can only consider teacher seniority when making difficult staffing decisions. Republican reforms would allow districts to consider other factors in addition to seniority, so young, talented, and energetic teachers are treated fairly when budgets get tight.

The Important Partnership of Parents and Teachers

When it comes to schools, everyone talks about funding and reform. But there is an underappreciated aspect of education that is absolutely critical to student success: a strong partnership between parents and teachers.

I appreciate all teachers who work closely with parents to do what’s best for students. A partnership between a great teacher and active, engaged parents who are working together in close communication is the best way for children to reach their full potential. That is the kind of parent-teacher support system every student deserves. I know I am eternally grateful to the teachers who touched my children’s lives.