SEMTEC The SE MN preK-12 Technology Coordinators
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MREA LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN
There are several items of interest in the MREA Legislative Update Bulletin, so I thought I would share it with you. Of primary importance is the fact that the Senate is still trying to include the shared services legislation in the Conference Committee bill, and MREA is telling us legislators need to hear from educators on the impact of funding cuts to education.
Less Than Two Weeks Until Adjournment and No Budget Deal
All of the major budget bills are in their respective conference committees. Many of the conference committees met over the last weekend to work out policy differences between their bills. The E-12 conference committee continues to plug away on policy language, and we spent the better part of today debating charter school reform and shared services.
The Senate is trying to include the language from SF 10 (Sen. Bonoff’s mandated shared services purchasing legislation) in the conference committee negotiations. The House is very resistant, and no decision has been made at this time.
The proposal to create a 36 month moratorium on new charter schools springing up in recently consolidated districts or within one-mile of a school closing faces an uphill battle in the conference committee. The Senate has this provision, but the House is resistant to it. We are trying to work out a compromise that would tighten up the application process to make it very clear that charters can’t spring up simply to reopen a school that would otherwise be closed.
Another issue that is pertinent to rural schools is a proposal from the administration to only pay for school readiness programs that offer at least 12 hours a week of programming. Rural members on the conference committee have expressed concern that this will hurt smaller rural programs.
Last, but not least, are the overall budget negotiations. Several House members have told education lobbyists that public education needs to step up and start screaming for new revenue or the proposed cuts to K-12 are going to get worse. This isn’t an idle threat. MREA has included information in previous updates stating that all three sides agree they need new revenue to solve the budget. However, the DFL Legislature and Republican Governor can’t agree on where to find the revenue. If they can’t find new state revenue, then we’ve been told districts will be looking at a large aid payment shift and 4.5-5% cuts in the formula.
Now is the time to step up calls and e-mails to your legislators and the Governor asking them to spare education from devastating cuts and to solve the budget deficit with a balanced approach.
Less Than Two Weeks Until Adjournment and No Budget Deal
All of the major budget bills are in their respective conference committees. Many of the conference committees met over the last weekend to work out policy differences between their bills. The E-12 conference committee continues to plug away on policy language, and we spent the better part of today debating charter school reform and shared services.
The Senate is trying to include the language from SF 10 (Sen. Bonoff’s mandated shared services purchasing legislation) in the conference committee negotiations. The House is very resistant, and no decision has been made at this time.
The proposal to create a 36 month moratorium on new charter schools springing up in recently consolidated districts or within one-mile of a school closing faces an uphill battle in the conference committee. The Senate has this provision, but the House is resistant to it. We are trying to work out a compromise that would tighten up the application process to make it very clear that charters can’t spring up simply to reopen a school that would otherwise be closed.
Another issue that is pertinent to rural schools is a proposal from the administration to only pay for school readiness programs that offer at least 12 hours a week of programming. Rural members on the conference committee have expressed concern that this will hurt smaller rural programs.
Last, but not least, are the overall budget negotiations. Several House members have told education lobbyists that public education needs to step up and start screaming for new revenue or the proposed cuts to K-12 are going to get worse. This isn’t an idle threat. MREA has included information in previous updates stating that all three sides agree they need new revenue to solve the budget. However, the DFL Legislature and Republican Governor can’t agree on where to find the revenue. If they can’t find new state revenue, then we’ve been told districts will be looking at a large aid payment shift and 4.5-5% cuts in the formula.
Now is the time to step up calls and e-mails to your legislators and the Governor asking them to spare education from devastating cuts and to solve the budget deficit with a balanced approach.
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