Grand Rapids board adopts 2026 legislative priorities, urges protection of compensatory revenue

The Grand Rapids Public School District board unanimously approved its preliminary 2026 legislative priorities after a presentation by the superintendent outlining six items the district will advocate for at the Capitol.

The superintendent said the top priority is maintaining the hold‑harmless provision for compensatory revenue; without it, the district's estimates based on Minnesota Department of Education runs showed a potential loss of more than $1.2 billion under the changed student‑counting formula. He told the board: "If this hold harmless provision were to not continue, our estimates based on MDE's latest run would be a loss of more than 1,200,000,000, which obviously is significant." (Superintendent)

Other priorities approved by the board include a bipartisan bill to address seasonal recreational property tax replacement aid (which would redirect certain seasonal‑rec revenues to school districts that run operating referendums), restoring an inflationary index to the per‑pupil formula, opposing reductions to cross‑subsidy special‑education aid, funding employer costs for summer unemployment for term employees, and increasing Safe Schools revenue (which funds SROs, counselors, nurses and safety equipment).

Board members discussed the political feasibility of some items. One member urged looking for mandates pushed down to districts that could be reconsidered rather than only asking for new funding. Another noted this is a "policy year" and cautioned that many bills with fiscal notes may not progress quickly.

The board directed superintendent and board representatives to carry these priorities during upcoming lobby day activities at the state Capitol.