Wide public testimony as Senate committee hears governor’s education budget; charter schools, special education and Q‑Comp singled out

The Minnesota Senate Education Finance Committee held a long hearing on the governor’s proposed education budget (Senate File 2255), hearing a series of in‑person and remote testimonies that voiced widespread concern about potential cuts to charter school funding, special-education transportation reimbursements, Q‑Comp teacher development funding, nonpublic pupil aid and several smaller program supports.

Committee Chair Kunish opened the governor’s bill hearing and noted a long list of testifiers. School finance and charter leaders described concrete budget impacts if the governor’s proposal is enacted. John Morstad, executive director of finance and operations for Osseo Area Schools and president of the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials, said the 2023 compensatory funding changes already cost Osseo about $5.5 million and that statewide shifts moved roughly $40 million away from independent school districts to charters. He asked the committee to hold compensatory funding harmless for one year or reinstate data collection methods used previously.

Multiple charter-school leaders warned that proposed cuts would be disproportionate because…