Education Bills Released.  The Senate and House education finance-related committees both released their proposed omnibus education finance and policy bills today.  It is a lot to digest, but here are the highlights.

HF 1065

• 2% increase in the basic formula in each of the next two years with formula linked to inflation going forward ($100 million more than Governor's recommendation).
• $73 million to keep special education cross-subsidy at current levels (Governor's recommendation)
• Maintenance of current voluntary pre-kindergarten slots (Governor's recommendation).
• $10 million for concurrent enrollment ($2 million more than Governor's recommendation.
• Transportation sparsity adjustment of 30% of current transportation cross-subsidy.
• Funding for trauma-informed schools at $6 million per year ($4 million more per year than Governor's recommendation).
• $17 million in FY 2023 and in base for school support personnel ($32 million less than Governor's recommendation).
• Ability for districts to renew existing voter-approved levies at same level by board approval.
• $13 million for paraprofessional training ($13 million above Governor's recommendation).
• $6 million in teacher mentoring grants ($4.5 million over current law and Governor's recommendation).
• No grants for teacher mentoring (Governor recommended $10 million over the biennium).
• $4 million to the Sanneh Foundation (not in Governor's recommendations)
• Minor improvement in equalization of the local option revenue category (Governor's recommendation was for $90 million in improved equalization for the local option revenue, operating referendum, and debt service levy categories.

While there isn't a lot of movement away from the Governor's recommendations, the House moved money out of the proposed equalization and several of the Governor's proposed grant programs toward putting additional revenue on the basic formula and several programs that are high priorities of the House committee (paraprofessional training, trauma-informed schools, Sanneh Foundation, etc.).

SF 960

• No increase in basic formula in either year of the biennium.

• $15 million in transportation sparsity adjustment (70% of difference as opposed to House's 30% and funding in both years of the biennium.
• $60 million of one-time money in the first year of the biennium to all districts on a per pupil basis with limits on districts that received more than $5,000 per pupil from Federal recovery plans.
• $25 million in referendum equalization.
• $16 million in safe schools aid.
• $3 million per year in LETRS (scientific reading staff development) grants..
• $2.5 million in teacher mentoring grants.
• $1.5 million to LiveMore ScreenLess to promote digital well-being for students.
• $11.5 million for Education Savings Accounts.
• $2 million cut to the Minnesota Department of Education
• $2.4 million cut to statewide testing and reporting.
• $1 million reduction in college entrance exam reimbursement.
• $2.3 million in savings from closing Perpich School for the Arts.

There's obvious a wide range of difference in the House and Senate bills both in terms of policy initiatives and funding.  I have only dealt with the funding in this entry and will look more at policy in tomorrow's entry.  The big differences in policy revolve around the House's approach to discipline policies and its changes in the area of teacher licensure.  The difference in overall funding targets alone show how far apart the two bodies are (House target is $725 million, Senate is $152 million).  Getting to yes may well be difficult, but there are moving parts throughout the budget including wide differences in tax policy that there are areas where trades can be made across budget areas.  The influx of Federal money and trying to determine its effects will likely be a key getting all work done by the end of the regular session slated for May 17.

 Schedule for the Week Ahead.  Just a quick blog entry to give everyone a head's up on what next week will look like in the committees constructing the omnibus education funding and policy bills in the House and Senate.  The House told a group of education lobbyists yesterday that their bill will be posted on the House Education Finance Committee on Monday.  The committee will do a walk-through of the bill on Tuesday morning during its scheduled committee time (10:30 AM until 12:00 PM).  They will take testimony on the bill during the same time slot on Wednesday and will do the bill mark-up on Thursday when amendments will be proposed.  The bill must be out of the House Ways and Means Committee by Friday.

The process in the Senate is not quite as well defined, but I expect that the bill will be released early in the week and there will be testimony and mark-up.  The Legislature does not meet on Monday, so it will be somewhat truncated week leading up to the committee deadline--Friday, April 9--for finance bills.

As Bette Davis once said:

Have a Happy Easter everyone!