2013 Legislative Session and Education

Dear MPS Partners and Friends,

Minnesotans should be proud of the work that was accomplished during the 2013 legislative session. I congratulate Governor Dayton and Minnesota legislators for a successful completion of the session. The successes could not have been achieved without the advocacy, support and dedication of the many Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) staff members, parents, students and community members who helped pass legislation that supports Minneapolis schools and students. Thank you for all that you have done!

We applaud the legislature for reinstating integration revenue and implementing reforms focused on achievement and accountability for results. The state appropriated $485 million over fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY14-15) for K-12 education overall, including $28.5 million for the integration levy and $20 million for a general education levy. 

The legislature’s recommitment to revenue is a good thing for all Minnesota schools; however, we must continue to advocate for further investment in our schools. MPS continually faces the challenge of budget uncertainty and again this year we tackled the daunting task of cutting millions from our budget – in this case, $25 million – by adopting a structurally balanced budget that aligns with our operational and strategic priorities and keeps reductions as far from the classroom as possible. In spite of budget challenges, we will do what we have always done: focus on providing a high quality education to our students.

Several of this session’s policy changes will benefit our students and families. For example, the repeal of the GRAD reading, writing and math exams and the passage of the Dream Act are going to be of significant benefit to our students. In combination, these two policy changes will positively impact students, particularly immigrant students and students whose first language is not English.

We are also pleased that the state will fund all-day kindergarten beginning in fiscal year 2015. We believe that funding early education and kindergarten is critical to long-term school success, which is why MPS already committed to funding all-day kindergarten for MPS students. Additionally, this legislative session provided funding for early learning scholarships for low-income families and funding increases for school linked mental health grants. 

I encourage you to learn more about the successes of this legislative session. Read a detailed summary of the early education-12th grade Education Omnibus Finance bill or read the final bill.

As always, thank you for your continued support of our schools and students, whether you help our state change policy, support our academic efforts or volunteer in our schools. Your dedication makes a difference.

Sincerely,

Bernadeia H. Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools