Latest news with #CreativeArtsSecondarySchool
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislature maintains support for education, but future is cloudier
A student exits a school bus as they arrive to Creative Arts Secondary School on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Saint Paul, Minn. (Ellen Schmidt/Minnesota Reformer) Democratic legislators and Gov. Tim Walz played defense on education funding this year, trying to preserve as many of their 2023 legislative gains as possible without pursuing bold new goals. The K-12 education bill, passed Monday, includes $25.7 billion for schools during the next two years, an increase of 4.8% over the current biennium. Although spending on education will increase in aggregate, the bill includes cuts to special education and libraries, as well as social workers, nurses and counselors. Overall, the 2025 Legislature passed a mostly status quo budget. With dark clouds on state government's fiscal horizon, the future of public schools, educators and students will be determined to a great extent by the 2026 election. Special education aid is shouldering the largest portion of cuts to the education budget. The state will reduce the amount it reimburses school districts for special education transportation services by $15 million next school year and $28 million the following school year. Walz was first to propose the cuts. Federal law protects services to special education students from cuts. The reductions in state aid means school districts will have to make cuts outside of special education — or find new local revenue — to make up for the lost state aid. The budget agreement also creates a commission to explore ways to cut state spending on special education in the next biennium. The bill sets a target of $250 million per year in cuts for fiscal years 2028 and 2029. But that comes after the next election — and the potential for a different balance of power. The next Legislature won't be bound by this one and can ignore the plan to cut special education funding. Legislation approved in 2023 finally began chipping away at the nearly $800 million gap that school districts faced each year in funding for special education. That gap is commonly referred to as the 'cross-subsidy' because districts pull money from their general per-pupil formula money to cover their unreimbursed costs for special education services. On average, districts were spending 12% of their general per-pupil aid to cover unreimbursed special education costs, with the amount varying from less than 5% to more than 20% in some districts. The cuts to special education funding come at the same time that districts face uncertainty about the future of federal aid for special education. Minnesota school districts can continue to expect an annual increase of at least 2% in basic per-pupil aid. The education bill preserves a provision enacted in 2023 that indexes the formula to inflation, with a minimum annual increase of 2% and a maximum of 3%. The per-pupil formula accounts for about two-thirds of all state funding for K-12 education. For the upcoming fiscal year, the basic formula is $7,481 per pupil, a 2.7% increase from the current year. In fiscal year 2027, the amount will increase to $7,705. The state will spend $17.2 billion on general formula aid in the 2026-2027 biennium. Overall, state funding makes up 64% of education spending in Minnesota, with federal funding providing 8%, and the balance made up by local funding. The state will also continue to provide funding for universal school meals. The cost is expected to grow from $584 million in the 2024-2025 biennium to $659 million in 2026-2027, or 13%. Hourly school workers, like paraprofessionals, bus drivers and culinary workers, will continue to be eligible to collect unemployment insurance during the summer. Minnesota was the first state in the nation to provide this benefit when it was enacted in 2023. House Republicans pushed to eliminate the program, while unions representing the workers, including SEIU and Education Minnesota, lobbied their DFL allies to preserve the program. The state expects to have paid out $102 million from the initial $135 million set aside in 2023 to fund the program by the end of the fiscal year. Walz proposed adding another $40 million to the program. At the end of the regular session, the Legislature approved an additional $100 million to fund the benefit by canceling funding for the Northern Lights express train to Duluth. This sets up a conundrum in the future, with Democratic lawmakers seeking to stand with the workers — and the unions that represent them — while also confronting rising costs for school districts or the state or some combination. Unlike for salaried school workers, like principals and teachers, the current law does not allow districts to directly levy local taxpayers for the cost of the unemployment benefits for hourly workers. The state will delay for one more year changes to how it calculates what's known as compensatory revenue, a form of state aid linked to the number and concentration of low-income students under federal poverty guidelines. For next school year, compensatory revenue sent to school districts will receive a boost of $55 million. Under current law, the state was supposed to eliminate the use of paper forms for counting qualifying students, starting next school year. Instead of paper forms, the state would use enrollment in other government programs — like Medical Assistance and SNAP — to determine if a child is low income and thus qualifies their school district for more help. But going away from paper forms would mean that some students who meet the qualifications, but don't participate in programs like SNAP or Medicaid, wouldn't be included in the funding formula. The Legislature will also form a task force to make recommendations about how to change the low income student formula in the future. The state will cut nearly $20 million of aid to schools that support libraries, and an additional $29 million in aid for social workers, school nurses and counselors. The cuts roll back some of the increases in funding the Democratic trifecta made in 2023. School library aid was first enacted in 2023, providing districts with $16.11 per pupil or $40,000 per year, whichever is greater. Starting next year, library aid will be reduced by 34% per pupil, and the minimum amount of aid per school district will be cut in half, from $40,000 per year to $20,000 per year. The 2023 education law would have almost tripled the per-pupil amount next year for nurses, counselors and social workers. Instead, the per-pupil funding will only double to $34.32. Smaller school districts will continue to receive a minimum of $40,000 per year in aid.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal education cuts would hammer poorest Minnesota schools, study finds
A student exits a school bus as they arrive to Creative Arts Secondary School on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Saint Paul, Minn. (Ellen Schmidt/Minnesota Reformer) Federal education dollars are now at risk thanks to President Donald Trump's dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, which could significantly hurt Minnesota public school districts — the majority of which receive at least 10% of their budgets from the feds, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank. Tribal nations within Minnesota's borders would be even more impacted, as a larger share of their budgets comes from the feds. The Red Lake Public School District received nearly 40% of its revenue from federal funding in fiscal year 2022, according to EPI. The Trump administration promised that closing the department won't result in cutting federal funds, but the people who are responsible for determining whether schools qualify for a grant could soon be let go, risking the reliability of the funds. Republicans in Congress are also desperate to find cuts to pay for more border defense, Pentagon spending and tax cuts and proposed significant cuts to federal education spending as recently as 2023. School districts receive the majority of their funding from the state and local governments, but the federal government plays a large role in assisting K-12 schools in low-income communities through Title 1 funding. The EPI study found that in most cases, federal funds make up less than 20% of a district's budget. But, many districts rely far more heavily on the federal government, particularly in southern states, where some districts receive 70% of their revenue from the feds. Many northern Minnesota school districts in and around tribal nations receive significant federal funds, as they are low-income areas. Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools, Mahnomen Public School District and Waubun-Ogema-White Earth Schools received about 30% of their district revenue from the feds in fiscal year 2022, according to the EPI analysis. St. Paul Public School District received $176 million from the federal government in the same year, which accounts for 21% of its total revenue. Minneapolis Public Schools received $145 million, about 19% of its total revenue. School districts across Minnesota and in the Twin Cities metro are facing severe budget shortfalls and have drawn down reserves to fill the gaps. The end of one-time pandemic aid, inflation and declining enrollment are major contributors to school districts' tight budgets. A cut to federal funding, even those schools that receive about 10% of federal funds, would require districts to lay off teachers and staff and make other difficult budget decisions. Or, they will go to voters in their districts and ask them to approve a property tax hike. In addition to Title 1, the feds provide money for the IDEA program for special education students. The Trump administration has threatened to withhold billions of these federal dollars to states that don't capitulate to its demand that they end the use of diversity programs in public schools. Title 1 funds have been withheld from school districts at least once in recent history — to incentivize districts to desegregate.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Low-income students could lose out on funding, thanks to wrinkle in free school lunch law
Students arrive to Creative Arts Secondary School by school bus on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Saint Paul, Minn. Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Minnesota Reformer. Nearly three quarters of Minnesota school districts will see a reduction in funding to support low-income students next year because of a wrinkle in Minnesota's free school meals law — unless the Legislature acts this session. A formula for extra school funding relies on a count of students eligible for free and reduced price meals under federal guidelines, even if that's seemingly moot because all Minnesota students can get free meals. Districts certify students as eligible through a process called direct certification, i.e, the Minnesota Department of Human Services matches school district enrollment with participants in SNAP, welfare, Medicaid and other safety net programs. Or, districts can collect paper forms from families to certify low-income status. Under the universal school meals law, starting next year, only students counted through direct certification will be tallied when it's time to give districts with more low-income students extra instructional money. The idea was to make it easier for school districts, which would no longer need to collect paper forms. But the end of paper forms could be costly for districts that still rely on them. Nearly 13% of all students eligible for free meals were certified through paper forms in 2022. For reduced price meals, almost 40% of eligible students are certified this way. Certain districts are particularly prodigious when it comes to paper forms, which means they have more to lose. In the Twin Cities, for example, Minneapolis Public Schools had about 12% of students qualifying for free or reduced price meals using paper forms, while in Bloomington Public Schools less than 2% of students were certified through paper forms. Worthington, in southwestern Minnesota, had almost 22% of its students certified through paper forms, while Fergus Falls Public Schools certified only 3% of its students this way. Fewer low-income students means less money. And, there's lots of money at stake: Minnesota provides nearly $900 million per year in additional funding for low-income students — known by budget wonks as 'compensatory revenue' — to school districts and charter schools. Gov. Tim Walz and the Legislature were aware that fewer students would be counted as low-income when they approved the Universal School Meals legislation in 2023 that eliminated paper forms. The 2023 legislation temporarily allowed for certification by paper forms, which was extended again in 2024. Students who are ineligible for, or do not participate in other public assistance programs will fall through the cracks without paper forms next year. Anticipating an artificially reduced count of low-income students, lawmakers also set a minimum amount the state must spend on the extra instructional money each year going forward. Because of the hold harmless provisions, over half of Minnesota public schools received an increase in extra instructional money in 2024. If the Legislature doesn't act this year, however, some Minnesota school districts could lose nearly $50 million in state funding meant to bolster academic and social support for poor students. Walz has proposed extending the hold harmless provision for an additional school year and allowing districts to continue to use paper forms at an estimated cost of $44 million. His proposal would also create a working group to study the issue, and propose changes to how low-income instructional money is determined and distributed. The paper form issue is adding to what is already a cloudy budget outlook for school districts next year, with both the state and many districts alike facing long term budget uncertainty. Because of the complexity of how the additional funding is allocated, some districts, like Minneapolis, would be better off under current law, which would eliminate paper forms. But the three largest districts — Anoka-Hennepin, Rosemount Apple Valley Eagan, and St. Paul — would be better off under Walz's proposal. The swings in funding are significant. Anoka-Hennepin would lose $3.8 million next year under current law, but would gain $883,000 in additional funding under Walz's proposal. St. Paul Public Schools could expect $2.2 million more next year under current law, and $2.5 million more if Walz's proposal is enacted. Rep. Cheryl Youakim, DFL-Hopkins, has introduced a bill that would allow districts to continue to certify students using paper forms. Kate Lynn Snyder, a lobbyist for the teachers' union, described Youakim's proposal as 'simpler' than Walz's. She said in testimony before the House Education Finance Committee that Walz's proposal would just push the fiscal cliff caused by eliminating paper forms out one year, whereas Youkim's proposal would permanently remedy the issue. Spending on instruction for low-income schools has grown by 52% since the 2020-21 school year. Most of the growth is because Minnesota became one of 38 states that expanded direct certification to include Medicaid participants; more students on Medicaid means more students in the low-income category that translates into more funding. A district's compensatory revenue is also tied to the state's per-pupil funding formula, which increased 10% from 2021 to 2024. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Record level of eighth graders lack basic reading skills, national assessment shows
A student exits a school bus as they arrive to Creative Arts Secondary School on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Saint Paul, Minn. (Ellen Schmidt/Minnesota Reformer) The share of Minnesota eighth graders failing to meet basic reading achievement standards edged up to the highest level on record in 2024, according to national benchmark test results released this week. The data, from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, shows that 29% of Minnesota eighth grade students failed to demonstrate a minimum level of reading ability. While the change from 2022 to 2024 is not considered statistically significant, a decade ago just 18% of eighth graders were performing as poorly. Conversely, the share of Minnesota eighth graders rated 'proficient' at reading fell to 28%, the lowest level on record. That number has fallen by 12 percentage points since 2015. Eighth graders without a basic level of reading ability have trouble understanding the meaning of key words; are unable to make simple inferences about a text; and struggle to understand basic elements like an order of events, a character's motivation or the main idea of a passage. As in many states, white children performed better than Black or Hispanic children, girls performed better than boys, and scores in suburban districts were higher than those in urban or rural ones. Education Minnesota, the state teacher's union, noted that on average Minnesota students performed better than their peers nationally. 'It's good to see that Minnesota students continued to score higher in math and reading than the national averages and stayed about even with students who took the tests two years ago,' said Denise Specht, president of the union. 'However, Minnesota needs to continue investing in the educator workforce to make real progress toward returning academic achievement to pre-pandemic levels.' Minnesota's recent struggles mirror the country's. Nationally, 34% of eighth graders are not meeting basic reading standards, also a record high. 'NAEP has reported declines in reading achievement consistently since 2019,' said Daniel McGrath of the National Center for Education Statistics, in a statement. 'The continued declines since the pandemic suggest we're facing complex challenges that cannot be fully explained by the impact of COVID-19.' On math the national numbers are even more dire, with 41% of middle school students failing to meet benchmarks. In Minnesota the share, which fell slightly in the past year, is now 29%. The NAEP tests, which are designed to allow comparisons between states, are different than Minnesota's own standardized assessments, which also show stagnating proficiency in reading and math. While pandemic learning loss is one factor in the declining scores, experts are now looking to factors like chronic absenteeism and rising screen time as possible drivers of the ongoing stagnation. One relatively bright spot in the national data is Louisiana, which stands alone as the only state to post a significant increase in fourth grade reading scores since 2019. The state's recent embrace of the science of reading curriculum, which emphasizes traditional phonics-based reading instruction, may be playing a role there. Minnesota also recently adopted that curriculum, although the rollout is only just beginning. Lagging student achievement has bedeviled the administration of Gov. Tim Walz, himself a former public school teacher. Despite record investments in public education, achievement in Minnesota has fallen more sharply than nationwide. Schools continue to face budget shortfalls, in part due to declining enrollment. Many charter schools, once pitched as an alternative to failing public schools, are performing even worse than their traditional counterparts.
