Area legislators brief Columbia Heights school board on compensatory aid, federal funding risks and immigrant-family supports

State Senator Mary Kunish and state Representatives Sandra Feist and Cagle told the Columbia Heights Public Schools board Tuesday night that the state Legislature is beginning work on education funding matters that could affect the district, and they warned that federal funding and immigration policy changes at the national level are creating uncertainty for local schools.

The legislators spoke during the board's regular meeting in the community room. Senator Mary Kunish, chair of the Senate Education Finance Committee, described ongoing work on attendance and truancy pilot programs and said the Senate so far is preparing for a smaller budget target for the coming biennium. “We are expecting a pretty slim target this year financially,” Kunish said, and she urged districts to weigh where limited dollars should go. Kunish said the Senate previously added targeted dollars for special education and English learner revenue in a prior session but does not currently expect the same large increases.

Why it matters: Columbia Heights officials told legislators that a proposed change to state formulas could sharply reduce district revenue tied to compensatory aid. Superintendent Stenvick told the board that Columbia Heights is likely to be “one of the biggest losers in this new formula,” and that the projected change could equal roughly 70% of the district’s fund balance if not addressed. Board members asked legislators to prioritize a fix.

Representative Sandra Feist outlined proposed work on compensatory revenue — the state aid targeted to students who are academically underprepared — saying her bill would preserve the use of free-and-reduced-price-meal forms and direct-certification data as proxies while also creating a working group to study the formula’s mechanics and possible alternatives. “We’re gonna ask this group of brilliant people … to really come together, do some really deep thinking, and come with some recommendations to the legislature in a couple years,” Feist said. She added the Department of Education has offered options that would affect Columbia Heights and that, in some scenarios, “Columbia Heights Public Schools was on the list” of districts that would lose funding unless the formula is adjusted.

Representative Cagle said she plans to pursue infrastructure and transportation priorities — including Safe Routes to School, transit corridor planning and school-bus safety measures such as stop-arm cameras — and asked board members to keep the Legislature informed about local needs. “The more that we can move towards transit-oriented and non-car dominant communities, the better,” Cagle said.

The legislators also addressed federal-level changes and immigration-related uncertainty. Kunish said she is “very nervous and very apprehensive” about federal actions that have removed online resources and paused funding streams, and she urged districts to share practical budget impacts with legislative committees. Feist, who practices immigration law, urged careful handling of communications to families and community members and said Minnesota lawmakers will defend state laws that protect students’ access to school.

Board members raised specific local concerns: Julie (board member) pressed for rapid clarification about a roughly $5.5 million federal grant that previously flowed through the state and into district programming; Superintendent Stenvick and district staff said they are tracking guidance and court actions and will report back. Board chair Granlund thanked the legislators for attending and asked that they return with an end-of-session update if scheduling allows.

Quotes are drawn from remarks during the legislative update portion of the meeting.