First Education Floor Action.  There's been some major legislation passed of the floor of a legislative body this session, but today was the first time that an education-related bill has been acting upon.  The Senate passed SF 2 by a vote of 40-27.  I have not seen the roll call, but given the final vote, it's apparent that several DFLers supported the bill.  The bill is very straightforward in that it prohibits the Governor, current and future, from closing schools through an emergency order.  Passage was expected, but the bill's path likely ends here as it is highly doubtful it will get out of committee in the House of Representatives.  That doesn't mean that COVID and the state's response to COVID won't remain high-profile subjects throughout the 2021 legislative session.  I am not surprised, but it is a little disappointing seeing that there was agreement shortly after the election on a substantial COVID relief package that there isn't a more unified approach on how to move forward. 

New Guidance on School Opening.  Governor Walz issued new guidance regarding getting schools back to normal with an expectation that all middle and high school students will be back in the classroom by March 8.  Many districts have already been bringing students back in and this should accelerate that process.  There will likely be some tricky adjustments as spelled out in the guidance, but this go-ahead is what parents and school personnel have been hoping for.

Here is a link to the Minnesota Department of Education's guidance on the re-opening:  Prioritizing In-Person Learning for All Students

Single Education-Related Committee Today.  The House Education Finance Committee was the only education-related meeting today.  The committee heard two bills:  HF 587 and HF 725.  HF 587 (Murphy) is the full service community bill that has been considered the past few sessions and is contained in the Governor's budget recommendations.  HF 725 (Youakim) would expand extended time revenue for districts for every student they place in a facility offering mental health services, juvenile justice services, or related programming.  District 287 Superintendent Sandy Lewandowski provided concise and insightful testimony on the challenges faced by students and service providers who face a situation that necessitates such a placement and how HF 725 would be helpful.