House File 6 advances to finance committee after hours of debate over literacy, local control and mandate relief

The House Education Policy Committee on Feb. 12 voted 7-6 to refer House File 6 to the Education Finance Committee after a three-hour hearing that featured bill authors, educators, district leaders and dozens of public testifiers weighing in for and against the measure.

House File 6, offered by Rep. Peggy Bennett, would revise the Read Act’s implementation, create a new Office of Achievement and Innovation at the Minnesota Department of Education, and allow school boards limited authority to transfer unencumbered funds and delay implementation of laws enacted in the 2023–24 biennium through the 2028–29 school year.

Why it matters: Supporters said the bill aims to give districts time and flexibility to implement multiple recently enacted mandates with greater fidelity and to prioritize foundational literacy instruction using the science of reading. Opponents said the same provisions could create a patchwork of varying standards across districts, weaken statewide equity protections enacted in 2023, and threaten benefits and training for hourly school employees, including paraprofessionals.

Bennett opened the committee presentation and formally moved the bill. “I move House File 6 before the committee to be referred to the Education Finance Committee,” said Representative Peggy Bennett, chair of the Education Policy Committee. The committee carried the motion on a roll call vote of 7 to 6.

What’s in the bill and what authors said - Article 1 revises the Read Act and affirms an emphasis on the science of reading. Representative Patricia Mueller, who led the committee explanation of Article 1, said the goal is to ensure teachers and teacher-preparation programs are trained "with fidelity in the science of reading" and to create an independent assessment of teacher preparedness. Mueller said the bill would end Minnesota’s partnership with the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CARI) on June 30, 2025, and direct MDE to take a lead role in…