ST. PAUL, Minn. — Today, the Minnesota Legislature passed its K-12 education budget – House File 5 – which contains vital funding for Minnesota schools. Its passage, along with other budget bills during this special session, helps prevent a state government shutdown.
Notable provisions and policies in HF 5 include:
- Formula Increase: Inflationary increases to the basic education formula allowance in the next biennium and into the future – meaning billions more invested in Minnesota’s public education system
- Compensatory Revenue: $55 million for a compensatory revenue hold harmless that will ensure critical funding for Minnesota’s most vulnerable students
- Charter School Oversight: Greater financial oversight requirements for charter schools and new ethical standards for charter school administrators – helping prevent the thousands of students enrolled in Minnesota’s charter schools from experiencing abrupt and sudden closures due to mismanagement of funds
- Students on School Boards: Allowing school districts to include student representatives on school boards
- Cardiac Emergency Response: $880k for schools to strengthen cardiac emergency response plans
- Protecting Student Support Personnel Aid: $30 per student for mental health support staff like counselors, nurses, social workers, and psychologists
- Special Education Recruitment: $4 million for special education apprenticeship program to recruit and retain SPED teachers with past experience in schools
- Facilities Maintenance: $2.9 million to allow school districts to include roof repair and replacement costs totaling $100,000 or more as part of their long-term facilities maintenance (LTFM) revenue authority
After the bill’s passage, Education Finance Committee Chair Senator Mary Kunesh (DFL-New Brighton) and Education Policy Committee Chair Senator Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie) released the following statement:
“At a time when public education is under attack by the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans, Minnesota is standing strong for our students. Though we didn’t have the budget target we were hoping for, Minnesota’s schools will still see inflationary increases to their budgets in the coming years and beyond. Additionally, we were able to protect the READ Act’s literacy support, our universal school meals program, and English learner aid. As DFL-ers, we remain committed to a system of public schools designed to give a free, high-quality education to all children, regardless of race, gender, creed, socioeconomic status, or zip code – because education is a right for all, not a privilege for the few.”
The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 35-32, after passage by the Minnesota House. It will now be sent to Governor Walz for approval.
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