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
District's Next Steps for Facility Funding
Receiving the additional Long Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM) funding approved this past session requires a comprehensive level of planning. That planning will need to cover facility maintenance, health and safety, and accessibility issues for the district’s buildings and campuses. Districts need to do this planning, at least in rough terms by August 14 with Board approval by Sept. 30 in order to … Read More
Separate ESEA Reauthorizations Passed
For the first time in 8 years, both the U.S. House and Senate passed separate reauthorizations of ESEA in the first two weeks of July. Now the Senate and House versions will go to a conference committee. For all school districts, educators and students, the passage of both bills is a welcome step forward, bringing an overall ESEA reauthorization effort … Read More
Register by August 1 For Early Bird Conference Discount
Register through Saturday, Aug. 1 to receive the Early Bird savings on your 2015 MREA Annual Conference registration fee. Teams of 3 people from the same member organization can attend Great Beginnings: When Learning Starts Early, Inspires, & Applies for only $495 per team – a member savings of $150. Register today. Every year, MREA receives high marks on its annual … Read More
Facility Maintenance Process and Timeline Released
Tom Melcher, MDE’s School Finance Director, sent a memo July 10 to school district administrators that provides an overview of the Long-Term Facility Maintenance Revenue Program and the new 10-year plan process and timelines. New LTFM Law Laws 2015, 1st Special Session, Chapter 3, Article 6, sections 1–4 and 14 (2015 Education Act), establish a Long-term Facilities Maintenance Revenue Program … Read More
July Vacancies Announced for State Boards
The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon this week released the July 2015 notice of vacancies for various state boards, councils and committees. Minnesotans are encouraged to apply and serve in demonstration of public service. Current education-related vacancies include the Online and Digital Learning Advisory Council, which has six vacancies. The Online and Digital Learning Advisory Council (ODLAC) is … Read More
Registration Opens Today for Annual Conference
The 2015 Annual Conference focuses on Great Beginnings: When Learning Starts Early, Inspires, & Applies with an excellent line up of general sessions and breakouts designed for teachers, administrators and school board members. Register a team of three for only $495 to attend the three-day conference by Aug. 7. The conference will be held from Nov. 15-17 at Cragun’s Resort on the Lake in … Read More
Long-Term Facility Maintenance: Fast Footwork Needed Ahead
The new Long-Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM) program to close funding disparities between the largest school districts and rural districts was among the major victories this past legislative session. To use this new authority now enacted in law, districts and facilities personnel need to work quickly this summer: The MDE should release soon a template for developing a 10-year facilities maintenance plan. The … Read More
A Few Surprises in Testing Reform in Minnesota
There are always surprises and possible unintended consequences in newly enacted legislation. One example is the noble goal of reducing the amount of testing time by students. While curbing the time students spend on standardized testing is an almost universally supported idea, to achieve this goal the Minnesota Legislature reduced the Minnesota Department of Education’s (MDE) testing budget in half. This … Read More
Minnesota Ranked Tops for Business, Education
Minnesota was recently ranked No. 1 in the Top States for Business 2015 study by CNBC. Key to Minnesota’s ranking is its top ranking in education, according to CNBC. Minnesota ranked No. 2 in education. Each state was scored on more than 60 metrics in 10 categories of competitiveness. Educators and school board members across the state can take a bow, knowing their hard … Read More