Senate Republicans today introduced the Students First plan, a legislative package aimed at returning the focus of Minnesota’s K-12 education system to student success, safe classrooms, and informed parents. The bills honor the $0 Senate Budget Target set by the Democrat Majority and works to free up existing funds while addressing safety concerns in schools.  

Despite more than a decade of historic increases in education funding, schools across Minnesota are facing budget shortfalls, layoffs, and program cuts— school officials from across the state testified to both Senate education committees in January about the challenges created by the dozens of new mandates passed by the democrat majority.  

“Parents and kids across the state deserve to know we’re looking out for their best interests, but the way schools have been funded over the last biennium is concerning,” said Senator Eric Pratt (R-Prior Lake). “Because of what has been passed, schools are receiving historic funding, but all of it is tied up in unfunded mandates. That means every dollar that goes to mandates is a dollar taken out of the classroom. We need to reassess how we fund education in our state, and that’s why Republicans have twice proposed our Students First plan. We first created this plan in 2023, and as long as Democrats continue to force unfunded mandates on our schools that hurt our students, we will keep putting forward solutions that shift focus to putting Students First.”

Key elements of the Students First plan are addressed by multiple bills and include the following goals:

• Allowing schools to delay or eliminate the costly, unfunded mandates, allowing school districts to help stretch their budgets and divert funds back into the classrooms
• Prioritizing student safety by ensuring schools have resources and flexibility to create safe learning environments
• Keeping parents informed through enhanced notification and transparency requirements