[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6572899,"mediaKeyId","3148418-3dad432ad78d86a61d9fcaf3df628ae9","parentId",3148418,"title","Senate advances K‑12 finance bill that pauses inflation link, shifts charter funding and trims nonpublic aid","audioSeconds",3234,"startMs",3243289,"endMs",8543,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3148418-3dad432ad78d86a61d9fcaf3df628ae9&start=3243&end=8","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3148418-3dad432ad78d86a61d9fcaf3df628ae9/thumbnail_3243289.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6572899/Minnesota/Senate-advances-K12-finance-bill-that-pauses-inflation-link-shifts-charter-funding-and-trims-nonpublic-aid","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6572899-7a8eb437d0799711f3484a914091ac31/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140189&Signature=kwbgsMb67Z5pDPAD6mKn~X1PyZmKElv6yRCR76PrH9R5-PqOAa7eoBjZtQacWjetgfZab3dscN6h3dyNGKnN8wEMHLVRSQ-OCFLQURjvi9xlfT67bCyDkmuadKcW2iau0GvmuK3enVAAk8mLG6wYt9rQ49gzGwmTgTPowX~79dZWaJGFJ0qu5BX0CP9nqibKqxF4~O8kvjuWwaYJK46ZYFiQGicPxXRNzBTYjBBvbeLDrekMnIavX-8TAn~~IZsA4U0WZJ4fbSY~kKOtxSYgYWlMVOp5XAY9S8MQNTC3Iy7LMO-PcH5ACB06hSfQq9hG72j0umnWs~ezgKvbWVplfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-04-29T16:00:36.467Z","article","The Minnesota Senate Finance Committee on April 29 advanced Senate File 2255, the K‑12 education finance omnibus, after hours of debate and several amendments that altered allocations for charter schools, libraries, special education and school unemployment funding.

Committee materials and a nonpartisan fiscal presentation by Jenna Hofer show the bill delinks the basic formula allowance from inflation for fiscal years 2028 and 2029 and holds the formula allowance at $7,705 per pupil for fiscal years 2027 and later. Hofer told the committee that holding the allowance at that level reduces general education aid by $611,325,000 in the 2028–29 biennium compared with the February forecast base.

Other major changes in the bill include: moving the $132 per‑pupil long‑term facilities maintenance (LTFM) allocation for charter schools into general education aid (a shift described by staff as appropriate because the per‑pupil amount is not limited to facilities use); elimination of nonpublic pupil aid and nonpublic pupil transportation beginning in fiscal year 2026 (Hofer identified estimated reductions of roughly $50 million and $54.9 million in the 2026–27 biennium, respectively); an additional $100 million deposit into the school unemployment aid special revenue account for 2026–27 to cover unemployment costs for hourly school workers; and formula adjustments to special education cross‑subsidy and compensatory revenue.

Sponsor and committee debate centered on tradeoffs required to hit a $0 target for the 2026–27 biennium and a large general‑fund reduction in 2028–29. Senator Kunis (bill sponsor) and others argued the bill preserves priority student programs while targeting reductions to areas the committee judged less essential. Some members pushed back, arguing the bill shifts burdens onto families and local districts and undermines long‑standing supports for private, parochial and home‑schooled students who rely on district services such as transportation, health services and library access.

The committee adopted multiple amendments. Senator Friend moved and the committee adopted A31, which clarifies technical fixes including fully funding charter-school LTFM long term and offsetting library‑aid reductions and restored several smaller items (special‑education apprenticeship funding, library telecommunications aid). The committee also adopted A30, which clarifies treatment of inflation in the basic education formula (the delink through 2029 and relink later). A36 (a proposal to require schools to sell a second meal) was offered by Senator Draheim and accepted as a friendly amendment. Senator Pratt offered A35 to restore nonpublic pupil aid and nonpublic pupil transportation; that amendment was defeated on a roll call (6 ayes, 6 nays). The committee then advanced the bill to the floor; members recorded the committee roll call and the motion to recommend passage prevailed.

Supporters said the bill protects core classroom investments and provides targeted operating adjustments to several state agencies, while opponents said delinking the formula from inflation and eliminating nonpublic aids and transportation would harm students and local districts and could produce unanticipated local costs. Jenna Hofer’s fiscal packet and the committee discussion document detailed the line‑by‑line changes, including the effects on tribal contract schools, library aid, and long‑term facilities maintenance.

The committee’s recommendation moves SF 2255 forward to the Senate floor with the adopted amendments; members and agency staff said they expect continued conversation during floor action and possible conference negotiations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Finance - 04/29/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Minnesota Senate Finance Committee advanced Senate File 2255 on April 29, a K‑12 education finance omnibus that delinks the basic formula allowance from inflation for fiscal years 2028–29, shifts a $132 per‑pupil charter payment into general education, eliminates certain nonpublic supports beginning in FY26 and adds $100 million for school unemployment aid.","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},6572904,"Senate committee moves to stabilize state grant program, approves parameter changes in higher-education omnibus",3217,29039,3246410,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3148418-3dad432ad78d86a61d9fcaf3df628ae9&start=29&end=3246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3148418-3dad432ad78d86a61d9fcaf3df628ae9/thumbnail_29039.jpg","/articles/6572904/Minnesota/Senate-committee-moves-to-stabilize-state-grant-program-approves-parameter-changes-in-higher-education-omnibus","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6572904-bb3f2af2312d2ca890af12c360c5fed7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140189&Signature=POjFHC0n1lbBKkLDb2En7ZZZXrBTcdkX6ADC2cF7nJGvgngtBIfWZ6ZzqVbbDf7XiEhH-P6G~Sumw4W3ZHztqjwahkKqy8sArHjoLkb-xxFnX7rf4cDKCkJeJ7XQ59kQw~OuSGfFfPX~ybVGmaJ71X1b1hfPqig5fjPvcQjrto7JTgA2dqMbJ30SsCIbs7Uo77aL6qsA0hMJchnyCKwt7o4nItKrkuUDC-Ngyqv~SssEoz~ADGmbzMk2Q8AwSGdkfjs4gLSmBakwfwSExjVWMdMC8s7WpmRj4Cknm6ziPOOvTMof7w-cpIfgOCOIDntIuaLAWd1hBXOQGhcuo-hz8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minnesota Senate Higher Education Finance Committee on April 29 advanced Senate File 2483, an omnibus higher-education budget that increases state grant appropriations by $104.52 million in the 2026–27 biennium and adjusts program parameters intended to prevent rationing of awards.

The committee’s package focuses on stabilizing three major financial aid programs: the State Grant Program, North Star Promise and the Fostering Independence Grants. Sponsor Senator Fatai told the committee the bill “invests our entire budget plus additional funds allocated from our base into the State Grant Program,” and couples that new investment with statutory parameter changes the Office of Higher Education projects will leave a small positive balance at the end of the 2026–27 biennium.

Nonpartisan fiscal analyst Megan Bursch walked members through the committee spreadsheet, identifying line-by-line changes and noting that most dollar figures shown are in thousands. She highlighted the $104,520,000 increase for the state grant program in 2026–27, a $2,000,000 per‑biennium increase for the childcare grant program and an $8,000,000 per‑biennium increase for the fostering independence grants program. Bursch also flagged that the committee eliminated several direct appropriations to nonprofit organizations and consolidated smaller line items into agency administration or system operations to prioritize financial-aid funding.

At a later point in the hearing, legislators considered and approved an A13 amendment to account for a modeling error in state grant cost projections and to change how assigned family responsibility is calculated. Senator Friend moved the A13 amendment; the amendment passed on a voice vote. The measure raises the assigned family responsibility for dependent students from 90% to 100% of the federal needs-analysis contribution, a change the Office of Higher Education’s Carrie Schneider described as aligning the state calculation with the federal analysis used for FAFSA and the state financial aid application. Schneider said the change, together with the new appropriation, is projected in committee materials to reduce state grant spending and leave about $3.6 million available at the end of the biennium rather than forcing award rationing.

Higher Education Commissioner Dennis Olson spoke in support of the committee approach, thanking the sponsor and committee for including both additional investment and “well balanced and calculated parameter adjustments” that the agency recommended to address the projected shortfall. Olson warned that federal-level changes and enrollment increases had contributed to recent instability in award estimates but said the bill “makes a strong effort to create sustainable and predictable, ongoing state grant awards for students.”

Committee debate touched on other trade-offs in the bill. Senator Fatai said difficult decisions were required to preserve state grant funding, and acknowledged that the bill eliminates some targeted appropriations—such as certain family-medicine residency and museum items—to concentrate resources on financial aid. Several senators asked the sponsor to continue conversations before the bill reaches the floor about possible restoration of some programs, particularly rural health and research appropriations.

Action at a glance: the committee approved the A13 amendment to state grant parameters and recommended Senate File 2483, as amended, be passed and sent to the floor. Both the amendment and the committee recommendation were adopted by voice votes.

The committee’s fiscal package and spreadsheets show the approach combines new direct appropriations with parameter changes to reduce projected program costs; committee materials indicate the Office of Higher Education projects the measures will reduce the program’s projected shortfall without resorting to rationing of awards.

Members of the committee and agency staff said they are willing to continue working with colleagues to address items not funded in the current bill as the measure moves toward floor action and potential conference committee discussions.","The Minnesota Senate Higher Education Finance Committee advanced Senate File 2483 on April 29, boosting the state grant appropriation and approving policy changes intended to avoid rationing of awards; the committee also cut some direct nonprofit appropriations to prioritize financial aid.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate advances K‑12 finance bill that pauses inflation link, shifts charter funding and trims nonpublic aid

Senate committee moves to stabilize state grant program, approves parameter changes in higher-education omnibus