This landmark legislative session came to a close this week with some major wins for Greater Minnesota education. The K-12 Omnibus Bill is packed with changes that will affect school districts in Greater Minnesota. MREA dissected the bill that awaits the governor’s final sign off and outlined highlights related to: Funding 13 major highlights, from the 1.5&1.5 formula with a statewide impact … Read More
Finish Line: Session Ends in Hours
By Sam Walseth Six months ago it was cold outside and a new legislature was about to be sworn in. That new legislature would be lead by a majority of DFL legislators in both bodies. They set out to work with Governor Dayton to accomplish some common agenda items like balancing the budget without “gimmicks” and to raise the revenue … Read More
K-12 Omnibus Bill Highlights: Taxes
MREA released today highlights of the K-12 Omnibus Bill for funding, taxes and policies. Here’s what you need to know regarding taxes: (View all the statewide levies and statewide levy changes). … Read More
K-12 Omnibus Bill Highlights: Policies
MREA released today highlights of the K-12 Omnibus Bill for funding, taxes and policies. Here’s what you need to know regarding policies: GRAD Rule repealed as recommended by Assessment and Accountability Working Group GRAD tests and required cut scores repealed Transition period for graduating class of ’14-16 with a mixture of tests Beginning with graduating class of ’17 (8th graders in ‘13-14): … Read More
K-12 Omnibus Bill Highlights: Funding
MREA released today highlights of the K-12 Omnibus Bill for funding, taxes and policies. Here’s what you need to know regarding funding: (View all the statewide totals and all statewide changes.) … Read More
Early Learning Scholarships: Where will they go?
MREA released a map today illustrating where the projected Early Learning Scholarships discussed at the Legislature would go in the coming school year. A thumbnail is below. Click to view the interactive map. Minnesota is poised to begin an Early Learning Scholarship program for children whose family income is less than 185% of federal poverty level. MREA anticipates that about 6,000 … Read More
MREA Releases Map Showing Q Comp Districts
Where are the districts that have schools with Q Comp? MREA released a map today to show to answer this question. A thumbnail of the map is below. Click to view the interactive map. In 2012-13, 60 Minnesota school districts (shown in red on the map) and 62 charter schools (not shown) implemented programs or had been approved to implement … Read More
New Accounting Measures
By Sam Walseth, MREA Lobbyist Beyond the macro level funding issues at stake for schools are new methods of how dollars will be distributed. Integration funding will be distributed in a new fashion and districts currently receiving integration revenue can expect to continue receiving about 90 percent of that revenue.The Senate has also brought a new set of pupil weightings … Read More
New State Accountability Measures
By Sam Walseth, MREA Lobbyist House E-12 Chairman Marquart wants a new accountability measure for school district academic performance. He isn’t asking for a new test, but in order to close the achievement gap and create “the world’s best workforce,” he is proposing a new section of law that would require school boards to set academic and other student performance … Read More
Last Week of Session: What to Expect
By Sam Walseth, MREA Lobbyist At midnight one week from Monday, the 2013 regular session must close. Legislative leaders worked over the weekend negotiating budget targets with each other and we expect that sometime today to see those targets. Conference committee targets are it. Once announced, there’s no going back. Whatever leadership announces is what the various conference committees have … Read More