Committee considers tying extended‑time revenue to general education formula to shore up summer and after‑school programs

Sen. Bolden presented Senate File 1275 to the Senate Education Finance Committee on March 12, seeking to tie Minnesota's extended time revenue (ELT) — used to reimburse districts for after‑school, summer and other extended learning programs — to future increases in the basic general education formula.

"Under the current law... this funding has remained stagnant at $5,117 per pupil," Sen. Bolden said, arguing that the unchanged base has made it difficult for districts to sustain summer and after‑school programs. Testifiers from Rochester Public Schools, Mahtomedi Academy (Intermediate District 916) and Ignite After School described operational impacts.

Amy Eich, director of community education for Rochester Public Schools, told the committee the extended‑time base has not kept pace with the general education formula and said the district calculated a roughly 30 percent gap compared with the basic formula. Eich said Rochester was reimbursed nearly $900,000 in ELT revenue in the last full year for which data are available and that, had the ELT base kept pace, the district could have served roughly 500 additional students in a six‑week summer program.

Mahtomedi principal Michelle Bayland highlighted the effect on alternative learning centers (ALCs), saying the 0.2 average daily membership weight that ELT is intended to represent is effectively worth about 0.13 today because the dollar base has not risen with the formula. "ALC students... are often in grades 11, 12 and 12 plus and are on the cusp of graduating despite many barriers," Bayland said, urging equalized funding to maintain programs such as night school and summer credit recovery.

Carrie Denison of Ignite After School described survey results from 36 districts showing widespread reliance on ELT funding and that stagnant reimbursement rates limit districts' ability to pay competitive wages, retain staff and provide transportation and enrichment partners. Denison told the committee that one benefit of ELT funding is how districts braid it with federal and philanthropic dollars to extend program hours and provide wraparound services.

Committee staff explained an A‑1 technical amendment to the bill that would round the annual inflation‑adjusted allowance to the nearest whole dollar each year; the amendment was adopted by voice vote. After testimony the committee laid SF 1275, as amended, over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

Action: A‑1 amendment (rounding of inflation adjustments) was adopted; SF 1275 as amended was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.