Senate Republicans tried to amend the education finance bill with their Students First plan and attempted to reign in mandates in the education policy bill. 

ST. PAUL, MN – Yesterday the Senate passed two major education bills that will dramatically change the way schools are run and funded in Minnesota. The Education Finance bill includes $2.5 billion in new funding, but along with the Education Policy bill, school leaders are raising concerns they expect to spend more on the mandates than they will receive in increased funding. There are nearly 50 mandates in the education bills alone, and several more costly mandates coming with Paid Leave, new labor mandates, and other budget and policy bills.  

As one example of an unfunded mandate in the bill, the Chair of the Senate Education Finance Committee admitted that one unfunded mandate in the bill would use about 2% of the student formula increases, taking money directly out of the classroom and into employee benefits instead. 

“Our teachers and students deserve so much better than what was passed today,” Sen. Robert Farnsworth (R-Hibbing) said. “Rather than tying up millions in new funding with red tape and onerous mandates, we should be letting schools decide how to use the funds we provide. That’s why we proposed the Students First plan, which makes the same amount of funding available to schools, but with more money dedicated to the student formula, and without the mandates.” 

The Students First plan incorporates five key points that aim to directly assist students and address education shortfalls:  

• A 5% increase on the formula each year, with no new mandates tied to the formula  
• $1 billion to fund the special education cross-subsidy, which equates to funding the cross-subsidy at 65%  
• $100 million to fund literacy programs that get Minnesota students back on track   

• $200 million to fund “Safe Schools” initiatives to ensure every child feels safe while learning   
• $100 million to provide additional property tax relief through equalization   

This plan sets itself apart from the Democrats’ plan by offering an alternative that prioritizes students, literacy, and funding that directly benefits learning in the classroom. The Democrats’ plan only provides a 4% increase the first year and a 5% increase in the second year on the formula, most of which is tied to funding mandates, a 47% increase for the special education cross-subsidy, only $41 million literacy and nothing for school safety.  
  

Republicans successfully offered many amendments to address their concerns with the Education Policy bill:  

• Fixes language that would have prevented Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) at higher education institutions that require a statement of faith with admittance 
• Allows disruptive preschool, prekindergarten or kindergarten students who are a harm to themselves, other, or property to be dismissed from class 
• Includes exemptions to a prohibition on American Indian mascots, logos, or nicknames 
• Removes changes to teacher licensure that would drastically reduce opportunities for Teacher of Color and non-traditional teachers to start their career 

Republican amendments to improve the Finance bill were mostly rejected. One amendment to the Education Finance bill that was adopted was a change in Disparity Aid to assist property poor school districts that have struggled to pass levies or additional funding.