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State representative warns Shakopee board of projected K–12 cuts, special-education review
Summary
Representative Ben Baker updated the Shakopee School Board on the recent legislative session, saying state education policy left local districts facing decreased funding and mandating a Blue Ribbon Commission to find cuts, including $250 million in special-education reductions.
Representative Ben Baker (District 54B) told the Shakopee School Board on July 28 that the recent legislative session left unresolved funding and policy issues that will affect local schools.
Baker, a member of the education finance committee, told the board he supported the original education bill in the House but voted against the final negotiated bill because, he said, “we cut money to schools in the next 2 years by about $71,000,000, and we increased the Department of Ed budget by $18,000,000.” He said those tradeoffs reduce direct funding to districts while increasing state administrative spending.
Nut graf: Baker warned the board that a legislatively mandated Blue Ribbon Commission must identify about $250 million in special-education reductions; he said failure to agree on targeted reductions could produce a “generic cut” that would affect all districts. He urged district leaders to monitor the commission’s work and prepare for state-driven changes to special-education funding.
Baker said lawmakers sought to reduce paperwork burdens and mandates but that disagreement among stakeholders limited progress. He also described bipartisan efforts on instructional hours and flexibility for secondary instruction (seat time), saying a provision to allow local innovation was included in policy discussions but that the Department of Education added a significant fiscal bill late in the process that undercut the change.
Board members questioned the feasibility of large special-education cuts and asked for details about current special-education spending; Baker said he would share the total cost figures with business managers but did not have them at hand. He stressed that local fiscal leaders need to be active in IEP meetings and in budgeting decisions because future cuts could result in reduced services if the commission cannot find targeted reductions.
Ending: Baker closed by urging continued partnership between legislators and district leaders and by noting bipartisan interest in allowing districts greater local flexibility on instructional time. He offered to be a contact for the district’s questions about the commission and education finance work.
