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State lawmakers brief Prior Lake-Savage board on tight budget, propose more local control and flexibility
Summary
State Sen. Eric Pratt and Rep. Ben Bakeberg told the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools board that a recent run of one-time spending and rising mandates has left the state facing a tight budget outlook and new costs for districts, and urged more local control and flexible funding options.
State Sen. Eric Pratt and state Rep. Ben Bakeberg told the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools board on Oct. 14 that Minnesota faces a constrained budget outlook and several new policies that will increase costs for school districts.
Pratt, who said he served 12 years on the district board, said the state used one-time surplus dollars to cover ongoing expenses and is now confronting a tighter two‑year forecast. "We had just come off of an $18,000,000,000 surplus. And we, spent most of that," Pratt said. "We also increased taxes over $10,000,000,000 in the 2 previous years." He warned the board that a string of policy changes and benefit expansions are creating new recurring costs that school districts will have to absorb.
The senator listed specific state…
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