Minnesota’s growing concurrent enrollment (dual-credit) programs for high school students to earn college credit while attending high school is being threatened by recent actions of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The Commission is proposing new credentialing requirements for Minnesota’s secondary teachers to teach these college courses under the auspices of a college or university. MREA Working to Establish Coalition MREA is very … Read More
Share Voice at Area Meetings
MREA invites all its members to attend an Area Meeting this August and September to share their voice on issues important to their school district. Area Meetings start Tuesday in Walker and Wednesday in Virginia. Every fall MREA’s advocacy staff hits the road to gather input from MREA members. We review outcomes from the last legislative session, preview upcoming issues, and help members understand how their districts are impacted. Check out … Read More
Facility Fallout: Facility & Technology Equity
While the legislature took a major step forward in 2015 to assist rural districts with long term maintenance needs, most rural districts face major hurdles to building new or remodeling old facilities due to tax base issues related to agricultural production land values. In addition to facility maintenance, construction and remodeling costs, rural district leaders have cited improving school technology … Read More
Early Learning
MREA has long supported early learning and it is among the top issues for the 2016 legislative session. A 2003 report from Art Rolnick of the Federal Reserve Bank changed the debate over the value of early childhood education. It estimates that dollars invested in high-quality preschool education for disadvantaged kids paid an inflation-adjusted 16 percent return. View a brief … Read More
Severe Teacher Shortages
Minnesota can no longer turn a blind eye to the severe teacher shortages and long-term teacher supply issues in the state. A lack of teachers is affecting academic opportunities and achievement in our schools. Read Minnesota’s Teacher Crisis Report View a brief on this issue View the presentation from our October 7 meeting Where We Stand The current trends in … Read More
Facility Fallout Bills
There are a series of options under legislative consideration to address the facility fallout in Minnesota and improve equity in facility and technology funding for our state’s schools in 2016 – and beyond. Learn more about the Facility Fallout. The School Facilities Task Force report from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is still viable. Several bills have been introduced … Read More
Seasonal Rec
The equalization of Local Optional Revenue (LOR) has left out some of the poorest school districts in the state. The property wealth of school districts in the Central Lakes and Northeast Minnesota regions are among the highest in the state, and yet they have almost no relation to median income or Free and Reduced Lunch percentages. The 23 school districts … Read More
Transportation Sparsity
Minnesota’s current transportation sparsity formula falls short of the needs of the state’s school districts that a geographic area greater than 500 square miles. Minnesota’s Transportation Sparsity Revenue formula funds adds costs of providing transportation in districts with fewer than 200 pupil units per square mile. This is over and above the transportation funding all districts receive of $250.94 per … Read More
MREA Hosts Area Meetings on Key Topics
MREA will host 10 Area Meetings this fall to gather input on the issues that matter most to Greater Minnesota schools. Information from these meetings will be used to build MREA’s platform for the 2016 legislative session. The 2015 Area Meetings will be held in August and September at schools across the state, from Blue Earth to Thief River Falls. Teachers, … Read More
Facility Maintenance Funding Webinar Available
Staff from the Minnesota Department of Education detailed in a July 23 webinar the planning process and requirements for the new Long-Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM) funding program. Nearly 100 school district officials participated in the webinar hosted by MREA. The panel of presenters was lead by MDE staff Dale Sundstrom, Terri Yetter, and Lonn Moe along with Cromwell-Wright Superintendent Ron … Read More