The Minnesota Senate approved a $14 billion budget for K-12 education Thursday that would raise per-pupil funding levels and that contains spending cuts and freezes that fall largely on areas concentrated with minorities and poor students.
The bill also would eliminate tenure, temporarily freeze teacher pay and prevent teachers from striking over wages if they are raised as much as per-pupil funding.
The measure passed by a vote of 36-25 after more than five hours of debate Thursday morning. The $14 billion amounts to 40 percent of Minnesota's overall spending, more than any other budget measure moving through the Legislature.
The bill raises per-pupil funding levels over the next two years by up to $100.
Special education funding levels are frozen, although state spending will still rise because it must provide equal services for a growing number of students. The funding in the bill is more than $200 million below expected special ed costs over the next two years, which will be paid by school districts because of state and federal mandates.
"When we don't have additional money, trying to add growth in one area just means it's not available for something else within education," said Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Gen Olson, R-Minnetrista.
Other cost savings are more concentrated in the Twin Cities area. The bill eliminates funding to encourage integration in school districts with high minority populations. It replaces that program -- which lawmakers on both sides agree is flawed -- with another one designed to promote literacy across the state.
Sen. John Harrington, DFL-St. Paul, said it was premature to cut funding for integration. "While we have increased the number of students of color in our schools ... we have not truly integrated our schools," he said.
Sen. Al Dekruif, R-Madison Lake, countered that lawmakers have been "pushing an awful lot of money into the metro area at the expense of greater Minnesota, and this is a little bit of equality."
Also frozen is money destined for school districts with high percentages of poor students, known as compensatory aid.
Sen. Patricia Torres Ray, DFL-Minneapolis, tried unsuccessfully to strip provisions of the bill limiting collective bargaining and freezing pay for teachers. DFLers said they run counter to local control in education, while Republicans said they will save teaching jobs.
"The fact is, if school boards and administrators are left with more money in the checking account to spread around, they can keep these teachers," said Sen. Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville.
The Senate bill contains substantial differences from its counterpart in the House, which passed in the wee hours of the morning Wednesday. That bill also includes vouchers for poor students to attend private school, revamps teacher evaluations and prohibits teachers from striking altogether.
Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius said Gov. Mark Dayton does not support either bill.
Eric Roper • 651-222-1210
