Home > News & Events > 2009 News > 2004-2008 News > 2006 News	Print View

The Bemidji School Board met with state legislators Thursday night to discuss the school district’s legislative priorities, ranging from the state’s formula to fund school transportation to all-day, every-day kindergarten.

Rep. Frank Moe, DFL-Bemidji, Rep. Brita Sailer, DFL-Park Rapids, and Sen.-elect Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, attended the board’s special meeting.

This fall, the school district developed a 2006-07 legislative handbook, which seeks action on four state issues and three federal issues. The district’s legislative platform was shaped with input from the board and the district’s leadership team.

“We’re going to give you four things tonight to ask you to think about and ask for your help this legislative session,” Superintendent Jim Hess said.

At the state level, the school district’s first priority is for the Legislature to provide adequate state funding for public education that includes an increase in funding at least equal to the rate of inflation, plus 1 percent annually.

Board member Ann Long Voelkner said the 1 percent additional funds would go to make up for years of flat funding and low funding.

Olson said she believes the core principles that the Minnesota Senate recognizes need to be addressed for education funding include adequately funded education, more fairly funded education and not wasting money and time to pass operating referendums.

Moe said he’s confident one of the top priorities of the 2007 legislative session will be doing away with voter-approved operating referendums.

“We have some additional money to work with,” he said.

But, he added, the use of this money will be competitive.

Chris Leinen, the school district’s director of business services, said he has mixed feelings about this possible move by the Legislature. On one hand, he said, he’s happy to hear that a move away from referendums may be a legislative priority.

“On the other hand, we’re looking at needing to renew ours,” Leinen said.

Olson noted that the state needs to have continuity in its education funding formula so school districts know what to expect for long-term planning.

“Hopefully we can come up with something that will work over the long term,” she said.

Other education issues Moe said he believes will be significant issues in the upcoming legislative session are higher education finances and funding for school transportation, which is a mandated service.

The state’s transportation sparsity funding formula for schools is one of the school district’s top four priorities for the upcoming session. With a geographical area of 833.38 square miles, the district wants distance traveled to be an important element of the formula, rather than just the number of students transported.

“We find ourselves subsidizing from our general fund to transport students,” Pugleasa said.

During fiscal year 2004-05, the school district transported 5,511 students. While the cost of operation totaled about $2.3 million, the district received just less than $2 million in transportation revenue. The district dipped into classroom dollars to subsidize the $307,287 shortfall.

Meanwhile, the Richfield School District – 15.19 square miles in size – received about $1.1 million in transportation revenue during fiscal year 2004-05. Its total cost of operation that year was about $498,136.

“What you will find is this is a huge money maker in the metro area,” Leinen said.

As another top priority, the school district wants the state Legislature to “discontinue the practice of tax shifts to local school board levies and honor their state financial commitments through equalization factors.”

Also, the school district wants to see the Minnesota School Finance Act provide universal access and funding for all-day, every-day kindergarten.

“In our area, we’re paying for it right now through our referendum,” board member Carol L. Johnson said.

Moe said all-day, every-day kindergarten will be “in the mix definitely coming into the session.”

Sailer noted that she is looking forward to working on issues that would better the area.

“We have our work cut out for us,” she added.

She said the legislative handbook will be helpful and that she appreciated the time the school district took to prepare it.

Hess invited the legislators to contact the board and administrators with any questions.

Pugleasa also urged the legislators to be in touch with any questions

“We’re passionate about our school district; we’re passionate about out community,” he said.

http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/articles/index.cfm?id=6113&section=homepage