[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6632767,"mediaKeyId","2670314-9c292f6ce28e614552a2cc0b9dfc080d","parentId",2670314,"title","Committee advances Native youth suicide‑prevention grant; lays over permanent‑fund and mascot bills for further work","audioSeconds",3385,"startMs",3392000,"endMs",6607,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2670314-9c292f6ce28e614552a2cc0b9dfc080d&start=3392&end=6","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2670314-9c292f6ce28e614552a2cc0b9dfc080d/thumbnail_3392000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6632767/Minnesota/Committee-advances-Native-youth-suicideprevention-grant-lays-over-permanentfund-and-mascot-bills-for-further-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632767-f1ba51177a0b5b94feb6b41225196b61/orig.mp4?Expires=1776906815&Signature=acARTZg-ZNYBV9lrHZFpCqyiH-8iTjoLjneMcSEH2Yx-dh3tofo8YkUqwt05qQ-HsW-QxsDIRxXyl0Xw-DiBvNYhiGaupTMUSMTvf2NHFk~oS5MCh8n3YE35zCbHQl6Gp4XnM0sF9z~R2s8HBj4iHgqPwWSk4CPvACalIiOJE~eGHJTkfffl0XGT38XenFOvIQp2ZovrSVeeZafYd64RjmOZ~ojN8U8rch~sf~~hB4NK5D8UuuBqRlsc2ImkzKdoDBDxW85uF63o~8YorFGyMaBHIV1pOnZ3Us-5UZqzLUSutmMZ3bE~Q7Ss8~iF0~V6ZXJu-nuAdLNRZLxAUYodVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-03-18T15:17:22.12Z","article","Senator Kunish presented several bills related to Indian education on March 18, 2025, and the Minnesota State Education Finance Committee voted to recommend passage of Senate File 42 — a one‑time grant to fund development and piloting of culturally specific suicide‑prevention curriculum for Native youth — and laid over multiple other measures for possible inclusion in the omnibus package.

Senate File 42: suicide‑prevention curriculum
Sen. Kunish said the grant would fund the Division of Indian Work and community partners to develop and pilot a suicide‑prevention curriculum tailored to Native youth, with an emphasis on mental health, emotional intelligence and suicide prevention. Testimony in support included Suzanne Nash of Indigenous Peoples Task Force, who urged culturally rooted protective practices; Kelsey Yale, a licensed clinical social worker who described national and state suicide trends and the need for culturally specific preventive strategies; and Beth Seidel of Division of Indian Work, who described lived experience and the importance of culturally appropriate interventions.

Sen. Kunish moved that Senate File 42 be recommended to pass and referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services; the committee recorded an affirmative voice vote with no opposition noted and the bill was recommended to pass and referred.

Several members emphasized that the proposal is intended as a one‑time appropriation to develop and pilot curricula and to build local capacity for prevention and early intervention. The bill does not specify a dollar amount in committee testimony.

Senate File 193: permanent school fund supplemental aid
Sen. Kunish also presented Senate File 193, which would extend a modest distribution from the permanent school fund to tribal contract schools. The bill would appropriate $40,000 for fiscal year 2026‑27, to be divided among qualifying tribal schools in proportion to students served the prior year. Aaron Vanderland, director of the Minnesota Office of School Trust Lands, described last year’s compromise and said the permanent school fund distributions totaled roughly $58 million for the current school year; he said roughly 600 students across four tribal contract schools would be covered by the continuation.

Committee members discussed constitutional and procedural questions about school trust‑land distributions. Senate counsel clarified that the bill would appropriate general fund dollars for distribution to the schools so the appropriation itself would not be drawn directly from the trust corpus. The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion.

Senate File 1404 and related mascot bills
Sen. Kunish presented Senate File 1404, which modifies the existing 2024 prohibition on American Indian mascots by changing the exemption process: instead of requiring consent from all 11 federally recognized tribal nations, a public school district seeking to retain a mascot would obtain consent from the tribal nation nearest the school. The bill also contemplates state reimbursement for costs of removing prohibited mascots and requires reporting to the legislature. Brandon Alkire of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council testified in support, arguing the change promotes local tribal‑school district relationships. Dave Cowan, a Grand Rapids school board member, testified the Thunderhawks mascot was created as a fictional bird in 1995 and that replacing the mascot could cost the district roughly $800,000; he asked for a pathway to an exemption from the closest tribal nation to avoid that expense.

Members discussed timelines and costs; some senators said they prefer Sen. Kunish’s local‑consent approach and state reimbursement for replacement costs, while others urged clearer appeals and application procedures to avoid pulling in districts that do not use Native imagery. The committee laid Senate File 1404, along with Senate Files 81 and 349 (related alternatives and funding proposals), over for possible inclusion.

Other committee business
Senate File 42 was the only item recommended to pass in committee on March 18; the other bills were laid over for further consideration as lawmakers prepare omnibus language. Members announced follow‑up hearings and noted additional bills on the committee calendar for upcoming meetings.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Education Finance - 03/18/25","oneSentenceSummary","Senator Kunish presented several bills related to Indian education on March 18, 2025, and the Minnesota State Education Finance Committee voted to recommend passage of Senate File 42 — a one‑time grant to fund culturally specific suicide‑prevention curriculum for Native youth — while laying over related bills addressing permanent‑fund distributions and mascot exemptions for further work.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6632772,"Fond du Lac Ojibwe School urges sustained funding for immersion, attendance supports and mental‑health services",893,2523000,3416000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2670314-9c292f6ce28e614552a2cc0b9dfc080d&start=2523&end=3416","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2670314-9c292f6ce28e614552a2cc0b9dfc080d/thumbnail_2523000.jpg","/articles/6632772/Minnesota/Fond-du-Lac-Ojibwe-School-urges-sustained-funding-for-immersion-attendance-supports-and-mentalhealth-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632772-2899a80a55d5cb366a4b981d8eeb8deb/orig.mp4?Expires=1776906815&Signature=gI6U2AYme6iABWwIUlQ~Y49loqKcbyH2eJxZ8W8tXgVrfCGbXOfPEqBvDWMpP94FuwSpUYBwHOM7V11lLzAzykg0HhL607OrtUu3txuUKqryk7z1Jv6kHt3YL62vaeD90wrOCrEmhLHtn-b882HBtnuHBnIp6MepQtRahlT58riNd1Y9wUgVSaST8aPIKkaPXjPjb0F0-5lfyOcpnpZTcbwIM7268byZS~pm~izCehJ0AauA-zowNHZDSk1u11vd3C8StqvmeknJyx-9q-wcNvymIytC3xnNdfFHtXkGBniStb0jOiN5NsxOYxmC5UQHC31ZW0X6wzoF4yyIV1~z3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tara Dupuy, superintendent of the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, told the Minnesota State Education Finance Committee on March 18 that the small tribally controlled school in Cloquet provides daily Ojibwe language instruction and culturally rooted seasonal programming but faces budgetary pressures that threaten key staff and programs.

Dupuy told the panel the school serves about 40 students this year, with about 98 percent of students qualifying for free or reduced‑price lunch and about 30 percent qualifying for special education services. She said the school offers daily Ojibwe language for K‑12 (about 50 minutes a day), requires at least two years of Ojibwe language for graduation, and operates a WASH immersion program for 3‑ to 5‑year‑olds.

The superintendent described deep community programming — seasonal rice harvests, powwow and festival celebrations, maple‑sugaring activities and a community garden — and formal agreements with the Cloquet School District that allow Fond du Lac students to participate in sports and permit high‑school students to take career and technical education (CTE) classes such as carpentry, welding and commercial driver's license training.

Dupuy said the school relies on grants and tribal partnerships to sustain cultural and enrichment programming and that competing with larger districts for licensed teachers — particularly special education and secondary math and science instructors — is a continuing staffing challenge. \"We do our best to hire staff who reflect our student body to foster a sense of belonging,\" Dupuy said, but added that newly trained Native teachers are often hired away because larger districts can offer higher pay.

She described several attendance initiatives the school has used, including year‑end recognition and $100 gift cards for students with perfect attendance, daily classroom attendance shout‑outs on the school's Facebook page, and a check‑and‑connect mentoring program that works directly with families. When Sen. Swadzinski asked for examples, Dupuy said the gift‑card ceremony and Facebook recognition have been effective, and noted that check‑and‑connect mentors make weekly home contacts to help families address barriers to attendance.

Two students also addressed the committee. Bella Feneris, a junior and the student council president, said returning to the tribal school improved her engagement: \"I was a failing student who never wanted to come to school ... I'm now the student council president, and I feel more comfortable doing extracurriculars,\" she said. Kenny Bosco, an eighth‑grader, told the committee he values cultural classes such as beading and sewing and said, \"I like it here because it's less complicated and I get help when I need it here.\"

On family stability, Dupuy said many students live with grandparents or extended family and that parental incarceration and addiction are real factors for a notable share of families; when asked she estimated roughly 30 percent of families experience parental incarceration at some point during the school year. She said those circumstances make service coordination — notarizations, guardianship paperwork and social services — a routine part of school administration.

Dupuy closed by asking for continued support for the school’s cultural, mental‑health and staffing needs, and committee members thanked her and the students for testifying.

","Tara Dupuy, superintendent of the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, told the committee the Cloquet‑area tribal school serves about 40 students, requires Ojibwe language coursework for graduation, and depends on partnerships and grant funding to sustain programs amid staffing and student‑well‑being challenges.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6632777,"Leech Lake tribal school tells committee PFAS, long bus routes and funding gaps hinder student support",1887,617000,2504000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2670314-9c292f6ce28e614552a2cc0b9dfc080d&start=617&end=2504","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2670314-9c292f6ce28e614552a2cc0b9dfc080d/thumbnail_617000.jpg","/articles/6632777/Minnesota/Leech-Lake-tribal-school-tells-committee-PFAS-long-bus-routes-and-funding-gaps-hinder-student-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632777-f95eb56e052370fd19d740c897950c98/orig.mp4?Expires=1776906815&Signature=MeehC-N-Z3E2rzGJoCEw0QbUPc6wTzqw7~pLHDrtdD8k5rAi~flkPpPXQP6f1zeixQrDVO5fcRPScpKxdU9y~O~2lItOD8Vmn23xcbHd6p5ChBHlM4HJ4n5fFb-mouNqQGLm4-hS3mJjx25EVKzkULEj0goufN-IT35h0KSECELyvsU-N3z--hOczzjqkHWg9QAvnG4S5ghEgQBtFA8xtqlRxaByOr1j1PFDbkpmoRn8Ey070azTfRNyuvnfRffBqmQDWxpWNdPUjoUosvwfQJA2baGQady64XKh7eH0bUIy5~bkkCPHagwNa5StcnAzSRCTD1hoFYKQmv~IJff5MQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dan McKeon, director of the Bug‑O‑Nay‑Ge‑Shig School, told the Minnesota State Education Finance Committee on March 18, 2025, that his tribal K‑12 school — located near Bena on the Leech Lake Reservation — faces a combination of infrastructure, staffing and student‑support challenges that outstrip available funding.

McKeon said the school enrolls approximately 200 students and offers strong Ojibwe language and cultural programming, including a K‑6 immersion program he identified as Negani and daily language instruction of 60 to 90 minutes. He described the school as tribally controlled and funded through a mix of federal and tribal sources, with 25 separate funding streams and a substantial share of dollars coming from the Bureau of Indian Education through the Indian Student Equalization Program (ISEP).

The school director emphasized how geography and transportation shape the operation: buses travel long distances across the reservation — in some cases students ride up to 90 minutes one way — and the district covers the area between Grand Rapids and Bemidji along Highway 2. \"We have students who ride for 90 minutes one way to attend school here,\" McKeon said.

McKeon told the committee that trauma‑informed supports are central to the school’s day. He described a sizable student‑support team that greets students each morning and offers school‑based social work, counseling, home‑school liaison services and behavioral interventions. He said those services, along with a mentorship program that pairs staff with students and requires compensated weekly home contacts, are important but hard to sustain with existing funding.

He also described a PFAS contamination problem that forced the school to shut down its water system. \"As soon as we got the test results, we shut our water system down and we've been operating with water that gets trucked in every week,\" McKeon said, adding that the school has relied on bottled or trucked‑in water since the winter of 2023 while it works with the Leech Lake environmental team and the BIE on a new well and distribution infrastructure.

On funding and governance, McKeon said tribal contract schools receive federal ISEP per‑pupil dollars and noted one feature that complicates finance: students who are enrolled members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe generate different federal funding levels than students who are not enrolled, because of enrollment criteria administered by the BIE. He also described a recurring administrative tension: the BIE sets some standards (for example, a lower required number of instructional hours) while Minnesota state policy sets other, higher requirements, and tribal schools sometimes must choose which standard to follow.

McKeon outlined recent academic work, including a post‑pandemic push to accelerate reading recovery and reduce learning gaps, and said the school has reduced teacher turnover by reworking salary schedules and offering the small‑school advantages that some staff value. He invited committee members to visit the school and noted ceremonies and elders’ roles in daily school life.

Committee members thanked McKeon and asked follow‑up questions about the PFAS testing and remediation timeline. McKeon said a contractor has been approved to drill and connect to a clean source and that the project is under way but that securing and administering federal BIE facility dollars has been time‑consuming.

The presentation highlighted the intersection of infrastructure, public health, transportation and culturally specific programming at a rural tribal school — issues committee members said they would continue to consider as they work on education funding.

","Dan McKeon, director of the Bug‑O‑Nay‑Ge‑Shig School, told the Minnesota State Education Finance Committee on March 18 that the tribally controlled K‑12 school serves about 200 students but is coping with PFAS‑contaminated drinking water, long bus rides, trauma‑driven needs and fragmented funding streams.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances Native youth suicide‑prevention grant; lays over permanent‑fund and mascot bills for further work

Fond du Lac Ojibwe School urges sustained funding for immersion, attendance supports and mental‑health services

Leech Lake tribal school tells committee PFAS, long bus routes and funding gaps hinder student support