Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legislative Platform topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adopts legislative platform after debate over K–3 discipline and funding asks
Summary
The board approved a legislative platform urging changes to statutes affecting student behavior and asking for funding increases, including a 5% Basic General Education boost and elimination of certain cross-subsidies. Members debated whether to "repeal" or "modify" K–3 discipline language; the platform passed 5-1.
The Anoka‑Hennepin School Board approved its 2025 legislative platform Dec. 9 following extensive discussion over language on K–3 discipline and several funding requests.
Michelle Trailstad summarized the platformproposal: under student behavior and support the platform asks legislators to repeal mandates that interfere with staff and student safety, modify the K–3 discipline statute to provide more staff time/resources, and keep flexibility on tiered licensure. Under funding, the platform asks for a 5% increase to the Basic General Education formula, investment to implement REDACT (district term used in the presentation), elimination of Special Education and English Learner cross-subsidies (district estimated amounts were discussed), and funding to cover state-mandated unemployment and paid‑leave costs.
Board members debated whether the platform should use the word "repeal" or "modify" for K–3 statute language and asked staff to prepare a supplemental document with specific statutory citations and supporting data to use in conversations with legislators. Several directors stressed the need for data on incidents, administrator staffing impacts and cost estimates. Superintendent McIntyre and other directors framed student behavior statutes as an impediment to district priorities including literacy and staff retention.
After debate, the motion to adopt the legislative platform as presented passed 5-1. Directors said they planned to provide legislators with the high‑level platform and a supplemental document with specific numbers and legislative language.
