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Senate passes education omnibus with protections and cuts; special education savings target draws resistance
Summary
The Senate approved House File 5, the K‑12 omnibus, preserving several investments including universal meals and ELL support while assigning a blue‑ribbon commission to seek $250 million in special‑education savings — a conditional target that drew sharp criticism from lawmakers.
The Minnesota Senate passed House File 5, the K‑12 finance and policy omnibus, after hours of debate over funding priorities, mandate relief and projected cuts in future budget years.
Senator Kunish, the bill’s explaining author, framed the package as an attempt to preserve critical investments from the 2023 education budget while meeting an out‑year cut target. The bill keeps several programmatic priorities — including read‑act support, English‑learner aid, universal school meals and funding for school library media specialists — but negotiators made reductions and set a multi‑step process to manage special education growth.
Lawmakers attached a pivotal mechanism: an 18‑member blue‑ribbon commission charged with…
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