Today Senate Democrats passed a partisan, mandate-heavy education policy omnibus bill. The legislation fails to address the three areas where schools need the most support: increasing academic success, providing mandate relief and improving school safety.

“Just last week, we got the latest report showing graduation rates are slipping for Minnesota students. Combined with the fact that fewer than half of Minnesota students are at grade level with math or reading, we are failing to prepare our children for the future. Now is the time to pass policies that put students first, not pass new mandates that distract from academic success,” Senator Julia Coleman (R-Waconia), Republican lead of the Senate Education Policy Committee, shared. 

The education policy bill increases mandates on schools, even after more than 60 mandates were passed in the 2023 session. A letter on March 14 from various education groups requested the legislature refrain from passing new mandates in 2024, citing the negative impacts to their budget, workforce, local control, and innovation efforts. Senate Republicans recently presented a bill to give local school districts more options with state funding, and this proposal was offered as an amendment during today’s floor debate.

The amendment sought to allow school boards to transfer the new funding from one use to another by passing a resolution indicating the amount and purpose of the funds they want to transfer. These relief measures would be in place for the next three school years and only apply to mandates in the 2023 education omnibus bills plus any new mandates that are anticipated in 2024 education legislation. Democrats, however, refused to accept this proposal.

During the floor debate, Republicans highlighted how schools are concerned with the high costs associated with a new law to end the use of Native mascots in Minnesota public schools. Though Republicans asked for a three-year reprieve, an amendment was adopted to give schools one additional year to comply with this mandate.

Recent reports of violence in schools did bring both sides together to improve school safety. Republicans supported an amendment to protect teachers and school staff who participate in an investigation, hearing, or inquiry regarding school and classroom safety with a parent or supervisor. It pushes districts to improve communication with the school community and provide greater transparency when violent incidents happen in the school

Another amendment from Coleman that required schools to notify parents of an incident at the school failed on party lines. “Unfortunately, our teachers and students face many challenges in keeping a safe learning environment. Without a safe environment, it becomes difficult for teachers and students to focus on their coursework,” Coleman added. “Parents deserve to know when violent incidents occur in schools, and this change encouraged schools to release clear information when violent incidents happen.”

Rather than focusing on academic achievement or student safety, the premiere component of this legislation is a “Book Banning Prohibition” mandate. This provision would put book selection decisions in the hands of approved librarians with no room for input from parents in the community.

“Book bans aren’t the crisis in our schools in need of our attention – it’s the half of Minnesota students who aren’t proficient in reading in the first place,” Coleman said. “Our students deserve real solutions to the challenges they face, not political gamesmanship.”

Other notable provisions in the education policy omnibus bill would:

• SF 1318 – Require schools to consult with union representatives regarding paraprofessional training.
• SF 2998 – Allow smudging in public schools.
• SF 3924 – Increase training required for Tier I and Tier II special education teachers.
• SF 3974 – Require notice to parents and record-keeping if a student is pulled out of class for more than 10 minutes.
• SF 3998 – Permit student journalism with few restrictions and without acting against a staff person who advises student journalists.