Legislative Priorities and Delegation

Ensuring equitable student achievement and promoting safety through stable and predictable funding

Our district is committed to giving scholars and families the educational experience they desire and deserve as outlined in a new strategic plan. It’s going to take the financial backing of our state and communities to bring this to life. As such, we strongly believe that educational decisions that directly impact our scholars should be made at the local level. The following priorities have been identified to secure the necessary funds to achieve these critical needs:

Provide stable, predictable funding

• Increase the general education formula by an additional 2% for fiscal year 2025.
• Link all categorical funding to inflationary increases in the general education formula.
• Increase Local Optional Revenue to $920 per pupil and link to the basic formula.
• Fully fund the Special Education cross subsidy.
• Provide funding for new programs adopted in 2023:
  • Ongoing funding for Unemployment Insurance
  • Fully fund Paid Family Medical Leave
  • Fully fund Earned Safe and Sick Time
  • Fully fund the READ Act

Address the workforce shortage

• Expand programs and incentives to attract, develop and retain teachers of color.

• Reduce special education paperwork requirements to allow teachers to spend more time with students.

• Remove barriers and provide incentives to address the shortage of teachers, education service professionals, and other staff

Enhance school safety and support mental health

• Increase Safe Schools funding to support the mental health needs of scholars and staff.

• Expand the allowable uses of long-term facility maintenance funding to include the modification of buildings to enhance safety and security.

• Clarify language related to the use of physical restraints to ensure the safety of students and staff.

Reduce mandates

• Fully fund all existing or future mandates.
• Reduce the number of required standardized tests so school districts can offer assessments
  that more accurately measure growth, proficiency and college or career readiness.

These platform items align with those of several statewide education organizations, including Association of Metropolitan School Districts, Minnesota School Boards Association, Minnesota Association of School Administrators, and Minnesota Association of School Business Officials.

2023-24 Legislative platform