Schools Advocating for Fair Funding

Stay current on issues that impact public schools.

We pull together education and political information from local media to keep you informed.

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Receive weekly updates during the legislative session.

House leaders release committee budget targets

With all session committee deadlines less than two weeks away, House leaders announced an agreement Saturday on committee finance targets while crafting a spending plan for the 2026-27 biennium.

Session Daily

Week in Review March 24-28

With little fanfare happening on the House Floor this week, the focus was on committees as the first two deadlines to approve bills looms next week.

Session Daily

Panel hears governor’s proposal to cut $685 million from education budget over next four years

Cuts in education spending may be inevitable in the coming years as Minnesota faces a projected nearly $6 billion budget deficit in the 2028-29 biennium.

Session Daily

Bill aims to limit costly, time-intensive data requests to schools

Owatonna Public Schools has been overwhelmed the past three years with a large public data request, costing the district more than $400,000 and taking resources away from teaching students.

Session Daily

Cohesive response’ proposed to combat chronic absenteeism in Minnesota schools

According to Matt Shaver, policy director at EdAllies, 25% of Minnesota students are chronically absent from school: about 199,000 students missing about 3 million combined days of school per year.

Session Daily

Week in Review: March 17-21

Rep. David Gottfried (DFL-Shoreview) took the oath of office Monday to fill the vacant District 40B seat. The addition of Gottfried returned the chamber to a 67-67 tie, ending the Republican’s one-vote majority, and set in motion the House plan to operate under a tie. That meant Republican and DFL co-chairs began overseeing committees on Tuesday.

Session Daily

House lawmakers debate future funding for school worker summer unemployment benefits

When the Legislature authorized unemployment insurance for hourly school workers during summers beginning in 2023, it began reimbursing school districts for the costs.

Session Daily

‘Incredibly inequitable’: Schools surrounding Minnesota’s cabin country homes struggle as taxes go to state

A long-ago shift of a portion of seasonal home property taxes away from schools is messing with communities, says Sen. Grant Hauschild, who has introduced legislation to replace a portion of the taxes.

StarTribune

Gov. Tim Walz proposes additional spending cuts in revised budget plan

Gov. Tim Walz revised his two-year budget plan on Friday, proposing additional spending cuts this year and into the future to respond to a growing projected deficit.

StarTribune