MPS partners and friends,
We need your help to ensure that the Legislature makes a strong investment in public education this year.
The State has a $1.9 billion surplus. The Governor proposes $695 million in new education funding. The House and Senate should agree to his funding level. Let’s not shortchange education; instead, let’s invest in education.
The proposed House education finance bill changes a key education funding formula that helps schools with the highest concentration of poor students provide additional educational opportunities. If this bill goes into effect, the district’s poorest schools would get less funding in the future to work with at-risk students.
The House education finance bill also places more of the school funding burden onto Minneapolis taxpayers. The shift of facilities aid and integration aid from state funding to local property tax levy will mean a $5.5 million dollar increase in property taxes.
The Senate proposal would only grant a 1% increase in the basic education formula, which would still result in MPS education cuts as 1% is an insufficient amount to keep up with inflation. In turn, this would result in $13 million of projected cuts to district staffing and programs in the 2015-16 school year. The House bill provides even less in basic funding, meaning more significant cuts.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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Call Governor Dayton and thank him for investing in education and ask that he continue to fight for meaningful increases in education funding.
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Also call the other lawmakers listed below to tell them we need substantial new investments in our schools.
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Spread the word! Tell your family and friends, especially if they live in suburban communities, to contact their lawmakers and the ones listed below.
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When you speak to lawmakers, please be calm and respectful. To find out who your representative is, click here.
**Note to Minneapolis Public Schools staff: By law, district staff are not allowed to do advocacy on district time or use any district phone, email, computer or other district equipment.
WHO YOU SHOULD CONTACT
Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk
5 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Capitol, Room 232
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
Phone 651-296-8881
E-12 Education Finance Chair Chuck Wiger
5 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Capitol, Room 205
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
phone 651-296-6820
House Speaker Kurt Daudt
463 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Phone 651-296-5364
House Education Finance Chair Jenifer Loon
449 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
phone 651-296-7449
Governor Mark Dayton
Office of the Governor & Lt Governor
116 Veterans Service Building
20 W 12th Street
St. Paul, MN 55155
Phone 651-201-3400
Sincerely,
Michael Goar
Interim Superintendent