[{"_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",6616829,"mediaKeyId","2848566-f3ee792c6f727b4f0645441836362a90","parentId",2848566,"title","Wide public testimony as Senate committee hears governor’s education budget; charter schools, special education and Q‑Comp singled out","audioSeconds",4280,"startMs",2594000,"endMs",6874000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2848566-f3ee792c6f727b4f0645441836362a90&start=2594&end=6874","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2848566-f3ee792c6f727b4f0645441836362a90/thumbnail_2594000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6616829/Minnesota/Wide-public-testimony-as-Senate-committee-hears-governors-education-budget-charter-schools-special-education-and-QComp-singled-out","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6616829-6f1a4888bd732a2444c6a5258958ccdb/orig.mp4?Expires=1777162843&Signature=DXrIYZv1~HYmFXg8dtEYLjqz2Fgm1tedbwxxNpjow~n-VWq2jLl4C8D9Rz5WdRfRKy9EewOG8lQOqdgKdD6xXLHlN8Bp-5tRhF7AGqDMDkJSAKeeW1BlfqBCPtavJKvZa3bLVmZ7wGM9OMBSNizxGyvFPsMHdQ7ECsC35tdG7AesOj59yDIe2RUuDzihen1mq5x700Hn9FX6eP3pdPa9bG6Y5N-wJTSCy0GJeXw5Q7ZeqrvsXRcw0WD9bIhA~vqgtMM8oF416Vtho1zyhDex1ldM7OZMg77iT2u0hNYj7L7zjhcuVbnSiUBZ~c~u0SufUwRZbqjOVWpx~BQOmYQOLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-04-02T15:21:42.48Z","article","The Minnesota Senate Education Finance Committee held a long hearing on the governor’s proposed education budget (Senate File 2255), hearing a series of in‑person and remote testimonies that voiced widespread concern about potential cuts to charter school funding, special-education transportation reimbursements, Q‑Comp teacher development funding, nonpublic pupil aid and several smaller program supports.

Committee Chair Kunish opened the governor’s bill hearing and noted a long list of testifiers. School finance and charter leaders described concrete budget impacts if the governor’s proposal is enacted. John Morstad, executive director of finance and operations for Osseo Area Schools and president of the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials, said the 2023 compensatory funding changes already cost Osseo about $5.5 million and that statewide shifts moved roughly $40 million away from independent school districts to charters. He asked the committee to hold compensatory funding harmless for one year or reinstate data collection methods used previously.

Multiple charter-school leaders warned that proposed cuts would be disproportionate because charters do not have local levy authority. Shannon Peterson, director of Lakes International Language Academy (LELA), said eliminating long‑term facilities maintenance (LTFM) aid and reducing special-education reimbursements would force their charter to transfer more from general funds and would worsen a funding gap already described as \"about $50,000 per classroom per year\" compared with neighboring district schools. Joseph Billings, an administrator at Purdue Academy, said proposed special-education cuts alone would cost his school approximately $418,000 next fiscal year.

Speakers from traditional public districts described their own shortfalls. Chris Lennox, superintendent of Mounds View Public Schools, said Q‑Comp funding accounts for roughly $3 million in his district and that eliminating the funding would undercut a two‑decade program of teacher development. Hopkins Public Schools’ assistant superintendent Nick Lightfoot said his district receives about $1.78 million in Q‑Comp funds and uses the money for stipends and five full‑time instructional coaches.

Special-education and transportation concerns were prominent. Nasita Thomas, executive director of student services for Roseville Area Schools and president of the Minnesota Administrators for Special Education, told the committee special-education transportation is a legal necessity to meet students’ Individualized Education Program (IEP) requirements and that reductions would disproportionately affect the most vulnerable students. Several speakers warned that a shift from a higher percentage reimbursement to a 50% tuition‑billing change or similar reductions would force districts and charters to reallocate already strained resources.

Nonpublic school representatives also urged preservation of nonpublic pupil aid and nonpublic transportation, citing Minnesota statutes and longstanding policy dating to 1969 and 1975 that shaped transportation and educational benefits for nonpublic students. Tim Benz, president of Independent School Districts association of nonpublic schools, framed the services as important to ensuring parental choice and equity for families who choose private or parochial schools.

Other witnesses urged maintaining or restoring funding for specialized or smaller programs. Testifiers asked the committee to retain funding for computer-science coordination and grants, STARBASE STEM programming, community education aid, and other targeted supports. Dr. Alexandra Holter and representatives of the Computer Science Teachers Association urged at least $1 million to maintain a full‑time computer‑science lead at MDE and grants for districts; Melanie Peters of STARBASE sought the governor’s recommended $500,000 per year for program continuation.

Several district finance organizations warned of large combined shortfalls if the governor’s proposals are enacted. Scott Krunkquist, with the Association of Metropolitan School Districts, testified that members’ aggregate shortfall under the governor’s proposal could be about $265 million and warned of staff layoffs and program reductions. Testifiers and committee members repeatedly urged that budget tradeoffs consider alternative revenue choices rather than cutting classroom supports.

The hearing concluded with committee members noting the difficulty of the budget decisions and the upcoming omnibus process. No committee votes were taken on the governor’s bill during the hearing; the committee will continue to weigh testimony as it drafts its budget language.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Education Finance - 04/02/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Minnesota Senate Education Finance Committee held a long hearing on the governor’s proposed education budget (Senate File 2255), hearing widespread concern about proposed cuts affecting charter schools, special education, and teacher-development funding.","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},6616833,"Committee lays over literacy aid reform bill that shifts funding formula and creates a hold‑harmless year",679,1964000,2643000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2848566-f3ee792c6f727b4f0645441836362a90&start=1964&end=2643","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2848566-f3ee792c6f727b4f0645441836362a90/thumbnail_1964000.jpg","/articles/6616833/Minnesota/Committee-lays-over-literacy-aid-reform-bill-that-shifts-funding-formula-and-creates-a-holdharmless-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6616833-2a6d86e3647b4255aaaa656ac5cbc532/orig.mp4?Expires=1777162843&Signature=jlZc7X3yk9NnjpjFq5ZZunlwn-IbRRvSOc0Cq4MDlI2awfRJ~kDFONSdJJVlMARrYTEw3Hvxa~qfpEJbKqOJVezuB3WFLRotL87mfHwhU8DhPHRViv8hEyc6Jclpt1aXM4MEFbGfh4RmN9zdhGEu~-6i2sEaE33zxDMJ4thsZT70ptZgcK3siYKa7Zy0VX6FsxB8E2Ip-v1xjyKwckYn~gDOuleJIUUjJ8eLNESmcAA3p5ljNPSPl6la5yKlie-SKqiq7WAsEjxoGZMJtq51AW4lj~JpH5XpX~xwlsSy9s1atTzzeAy5OBAJKL9x6N7Fe7E3ZGPVm-J2QCQqAB8-7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate File 3186, a legislative rewrite of Minnesota’s literacy aid program, was amended in committee and laid over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill after testimony from school finance officials and education advocates.

Senator May Quaid, sponsor of the measure, said the bill simplifies the program name to \"literacy aid,\" creates a hold‑harmless provision so districts will receive the same amount next school year, and phases in a new distribution formula in fiscal year 2027. \"There have been a lot of collaborations from school districts, literacy leads, superintendents, and other educators who kinda came to the table to figure out what's the best way that we can distribute this,\" she said.

Under the plan described to the committee, the bill would disconnect literacy aid from standardized test scores and instead, in FY27, distribute the first $30,000,000 based on enrollment, send $5,000,000 based on student poverty counts, and $5,000,000 based on English-learner counts. The sponsor said the change is intended to better target dollars to districts serving higher-need students and to provide flexibility for districts to use literacy aid to meet the goals of their local literacy plans.

Matt Shaver, senior policy director at Ed Allies, testified in support and said the current literacy incentive formula \"gives more money to districts with fewer struggling readers, and less money to districts with more struggling readers.\" Shaver described the proposed changes as a phased approach that preserves short-term predictability while aligning distribution to student need.

Committee members asked questions about alternatives. Senator Croon asked why the committee did not instead allocate equal per-pupil amounts to all districts; Quaid replied that the proposal includes a baseline per-pupil component with additional targeted dollars for poverty and English‑learner concentrations. Senator Crude raised concerns that tying multiple formulas to compensatory aid could create large per‑pupil differences across districts and suggested a return to a simple per‑student approach.

The committee first adopted an A‑1 amendment by voice vote, then laid the bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. No final passage occurred in this hearing; the measure will await further action.","Senate File 3186, a rewrite of Minnesota’s literacy aid distribution, was amended and laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill; sponsors said it will disconnect aid from standardized-test results and phase in a new student‑based distribution.",{"_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},6616839,"Senate committee advances bill to expand scholarships for teachers of color",1515,439000,1954000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2848566-f3ee792c6f727b4f0645441836362a90&start=439&end=1954","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2848566-f3ee792c6f727b4f0645441836362a90/thumbnail_439000.jpg","/articles/6616839/Minnesota/Senate-committee-advances-bill-to-expand-scholarships-for-teachers-of-color","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6616839-b06cf23b4a298a9711c9cdd22756b5c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1777162843&Signature=HNsrMzpmfhxy0Br5ydPQm2djeTHz-CuR8gWIngy52WYSWY~S0rOBrKM2qs6Pm8SWstHWo~9GSCznSGqhjy~PDXnvcy89CTgCQQzyex6cxkOfMAECNGWE8EX0uYzOUCbIncjjv2CslRihjk-j7y90~mFGfpdRBu6u-hL190QobhT7yWrNaZJ5CenHeZHeIT6~XM0qB7GfiotVSqgr-teN0bX7~PTFPq-dDyS019g1Cd03LaKY-7uWzDnk81L6RckKOEoAqQUKtef-ZbQBYXpOg93ppifiH3pBHwX1hAc95-7eNYofFmuPLQw8e4xhPXs6N5RbMSFjFGvVgbe4uSANig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minnesota Senate Education Finance Committee voted to recommend passage of Senate File 3128 and refer it to the Senate Committee on Higher Education after testimony from educators and scholarship recipients.

The bill, carried in committee by Chair Senator Kunish, would codify and expand programs intended to increase the number of teachers of color and American Indian teachers in Minnesota. \"Representation and lack of representation really does matter,\" Kunish said in presenting the bill, adding that previous versions of the initiative have drawn bipartisan support.

Supporters told the committee the programs help prospective teachers complete their preparation and enter classrooms. Tracy Byrd, Minnesota’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, said she benefited from an urban teacher preparation pathway and described the role models she encountered. \"Without that program, I am not in front of you right now,\" Byrd said. Ava Gallegos, a scholarship recipient and graduate student training to teach in a dual-immersion program, said the award made continuing her degree possible. \"This program has not only changed my life, but ... will impact many students who will see teachers who look like them,\" Gallegos told the committee. Liddy Latrell, an elementary and special education teacher candidate at the University of Minnesota Duluth, said scholarship support made it possible for her to persist through multiple jobs and financial strain to complete her preparation.

Committee discussion touched on legal questions and federal risk. Senator Croon raised the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and a February 14, 2025 letter from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, saying programs using racial preferences could face strict scrutiny and risk loss of federal funds. Kunish and other supporters rejected that characterization for this program, emphasizing its focus on recruitment and support rather than admissions preference. \"This isn't a racial preference. This is making sure that we are providing students with role models,\" Kunish said.

The bill text presented to the committee would extend a previously time-limited scholarship structure, increase the period over which a grant can be used from two to four years and codify the Minnesota Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarship program in statute. Committee testimony included these quantitative figures: in 2017 teachers of color and Indigenous teachers made up 3.8% of the state’s teaching workforce; the present figure cited to the committee was 7.3%. The transcript testimony also described student demographics rising from about 30% students of color or Indigenous in 2017 to 39% in the most recent count. The bill document before the committee included a funding proposal discussed in testimony of $10,000,000 per fiscal year to fund roughly 1,000 scholarships annually and a referenced pilot appropriation of $3,000,000 in each of the next two fiscal years.

Chair Kunish moved that Senate File 3128 be recommended to pass and referred to the Committee on Higher Education. The committee conducted a voice vote. A committee record of roll-call tallies was not taken during the hearing; the chair announced the bill would be referred to higher education.

The bill will now go to the Senate Committee on Higher Education for further consideration.","The Minnesota Senate Education Finance Committee voted to recommend passage of Senate File 3128, which would expand and codify scholarship and support programs aimed at increasing the number of teachers of color and American Indian teachers in Minnesota.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Wide public testimony as Senate committee hears governor’s education budget; charter schools, special education and Q‑Comp singled out

Committee lays over literacy aid reform bill that shifts funding formula and creates a hold‑harmless year

Senate committee advances bill to expand scholarships for teachers of color