Legislators are reviewing a bill that allots disparity aid for school districts with low property wealth in Minnesota. The bill would provide mostly exurban districts that have low general education revenue and property wealth per pupil with general education disparity aid allowance based on their adjusted net tax capacity per adjusted pupil unit. Some rural schools would qualify – those include Foley, … Read More
Center to Open for AMI Economic Development
MREA applauds the Minneapolis Federal Reserve for creating the Center for Indian Country Development. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis will start a national center to spur economic development on Indian reservations and reduce poverty, announced Narayana Kocherlakota, president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve. Persistent poverty in American Indian communities, passed down through generations, shows the need for more research and energy … Read More
MREA Announces Annual Conference Focus
MREA announced today that its Annual Conference will focus on Great Beginnings: When Learning Starts Early, Inspires and Applies. The 2015 keynote address will focus on early learning and the conference will provide breakout sessions on a variety of timely topics from early childhood education to college and career readiness. MREA members identified early learning as one of the top legislative … Read More
What Will 1&1 Mean for Your Students?
MREA prefers mix of formula, targeted funding for facilities and School Districts without QComp to address the TDE requirements, and tax base equalization for Rural Education. The reality is that 1 percent and 1 percent, commonly referred to as 1&1, is inadequate. If Minnesota elected leaders invested half the $1.9 billion surplus for education, they could address facilities, TDE, move towards … Read More
Legislature Returns to Take on Budget
The Minnesota Legislature reconvenes at noon on Tuesday, April 7. Budget committees will continue reviewing individual budget requests this week as legislators and interest groups make their last minute attempts to find their way into an omnibus spending bill. The next phase of the session is for omnibus spending bills to roll out of their respective committees. Omnibus Budget Bills … Read More
Support School Trust Land Transfer
MREA calls on members this week to support the school land trust transfer within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area during the current federal public comment period. With the proposed exchange, the U.S. Forest Service would exchange about 30,000 acres of State School Trust Lands within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in exchange for an equal value of federal … Read More
Setting the Education Budget Target
With the second bill deadline behind them, Minnesota legislators left St. Paul on Friday for their traditional spring break. This is a time for legislators to get back to their districts and get a reality check on what they’ve been working on. We hope that school leaders will take some time to reach out to their legislators to talk about … Read More
A Push for Increased Phy Ed
A bill that would direct the Minnesota Department of Education to adopt statewide physical education standards and benchmarks is moving forward. HF489 sponsored by Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake) would be directed by standards from the K-12 National Association of Sport and Physical Education. Dettmer, who taught physical education for 34 years, said the bill would be the first time since 2010 … Read More
Seasonal Rec Bill Heard in Senate
Rural school leaders testified last week on a bill that would help rural schools collect seasonal rec property tax dollars. The Senate E12 Committee on Wednesday heard the details of SF1323 from its author Sen. Tom Saxhaug (DFL-Grand Rapids) and the need for it from Pine River-Backus Superintendent Cathy Bettino, Business Manager Jolene Bengtson, and Pelican Rapids Superintendent Deb Wanek. This bill … Read More
Omnibus Education Policy Bills Advance
The Senate E12 Committee dug the Senate’s omnibus education bill, SF1495, last week. Along with several other items, the bill from Chairman Wiger would ease the requirement for teachers who have not passed the required basic skills test. They would be able to obtain up to four, rather than the current two, one-year temporary teaching licenses, and the bill requires a streamlined … Read More