A six-step hip hop program for $2,000 and a 5th grade kindness retreat
for $5,000 is more about school funding malfeasance than sound use of
state integration aid dollars, argued Rep. Pat Garofalo.
Garofalo, Republican lead lawmaker on the House K-12 Finance Committee,
today (March 24) both criticized the existing use of state integration
aid dollars and proposed an alternative use.
"Quite frankly, we have a major problem here, said Garofalo, R-Farmington.
Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, today (March 24) proposed an alternative use for state integration aid dollars, arguing that school districts are currently making poor use of the funding. Garofalo is the lead Republican on the House K-12 Finance Committee.
by T.W. BudigECM Capitol reporter
A six-step hip hop program for $2,000 and a 5th grade kindness retreat for $5,000 is more about school funding malfeasance than sound use of state integration aid dollars, argued Rep. Pat Garofalo.
Garofalo, Republican lead lawmaker on the House K-12 Finance Committee, today (March 24) both criticized the existing use of state integration aid dollars and proposed an alternative use.
"Quite frankly, we have a major problem here, said Garofalo, R-Farmington.
At a Capitol press conference Garofalo highlighted a list of current integration aid school expenditures he questions.
According to Garofalo, one Greater Minnesota school district spent $125,000 the price of two kindergarten teachers, he argued for a cultural liaison officer while another school district spent $99,000 for integration program coordinator.
They also spent about $58,000 for a secretary for the coordinator.
Garofalo did not mention the names of school districts, because he did not want to criticize them, he explained.
But he indicated that unless Democrats in the House addressed the school integration aid funding issue, he would bring up more examples of perceived school spending excesses on the House floor.
In 2005 the legislative auditor performed an audit of state integration funding program and found a number of problems.
For example, the purpose of funding is not clear some school staff believed its purpose was to alleviate racial imbalances, other thought the funding was to close the achievement gap, noted the auditor,
Other findings were that neither school districts nor the state adequately assessed the program, and racial concentrations in some schools receiving the funding continued to increase.
The Minnesota Department of Education was faulted for not providing consistent or required oversight of integration funding dollars.
Garofalo argued that nothing has changed.
According to the lawmaker, about 110 school districts currently receive integration aid funding.
The state spends about $132 million over two years on the program.
Garofalo proposes taking integration dollars using them to provide a one percent funding formula increase for all school districts.
He also propose increasing funding to the state school lunch program by fifty percent.
Some $24 million would be left to spend elsewhere, he explained.
House K-12 Finance Committee Chairwoman Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville, said Garofalo hadn't brought up anything new.
"We all know it's (integration aid funding) broken, she said.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty proposes capping and freezing existing integration aid funding levels, said Greiling.
And she agrees.
"I think we're going to freeze and cap it, she said of action in the DFL-controlled House.
The focus of the program needs to be sharpened, Greiling opined.
One reason school district use the funding for a variety of reasons is because they're so cash-strapped, she said.
Three school districts, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Duluth, are currently not required to report how they spend their integration dollars.
But those three school districts are going to have to start to, said Greiling.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
