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9/10/2008 12:00 AMMarc Ingber, MN Sun Newspapers The way the state funds public schools is broken, according to some legislators, and reform is needed to ensure students succeed. Minnesota House Education Committee members have scheduled a public hearing for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, at Eisenhower Elementary School in Hopkins to review a new education-funding policy enacted in the 2008 legislative session and preview plans for significant education-funding reform. "The good news is that the Legislature found a way to provide schools with some short-term relief this past session, in addition to the funding increases we passed in 2007," said Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville, chair of the K-12 Education Finance Division. "We heard from parents, teachers and administrators across the state about the dire financial straits that higher fuel and energy costs, food prices and special education services have created," she said further. "The fact that we were able to send additional money to classrooms within the context of a budget deficit reflects the high value Minnesotans place on quality schools. Even so, it's clear that the current model of funding schools in Minnesota is not working for today's schools." The 2008 Legislature's budget- balancing bill to close a $935 million state budget deficit included an increase in K-12 public-school funding of $51 per pupil - nearly $50 million for 2009. The session also included introduction of a plan to reform Minnesota public school funding by the bi-partisan Education Finance Reform Task Force, co-chaired by Greiling and Sen. Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka. The proposal, according to the legislators, would simplify and increase state public school funding, reduce property taxes and lay a foundation for every student to succeed when they graduate from high school. If passed next year, the scalable plan would begin to boost school funding while simultaneously reducing property taxes by $600 million. "For too long we've asked property tax payers to shoulder the burden of funding school basics, which has created an unacceptable system of winners and losers," said Rep. John Benson, DFL-Minnetonka, a committee member. "It's our responsibility to ensure that every student - no matter where they live - is prepared to succeed in the 21st century marketplace." Eisenhower Elementary School is located at 1001 Highway 7 in Hopkins. - Compiled by Marc Ingber | ||||||||||||||||||||
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