The Senate presented its public education bill today (Wednesday, April 1), one containing no funding payment shifts to school districts but one that does cut education funding by about three percent.

"There's no way to sugarcoat this,”  said Senate E-12 Finance Committee Chairman LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Plummer, of the pinch on education funding.

by T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol reporter

The Senate presented its public education bill today (Wednesday, April 1), one containing no funding payment shifts to school districts but one that does cut education funding by about three percent.

"There's no way to sugarcoat this,”  said Senate E-12 Finance Committee Chairman LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Plummer, of the pinch on education funding.

The Senate is at the low end of education funding spectrum.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty proposes to increase eduction funding by more than $100 million over the next two years — Democrats argue the governor's budget won't balance — while the House looks to holding K-12 funding flat.

House K-12 Finance Committee Chairwoman Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville, credited the Senate with not using the payment shifts that both House and the governor used in their budgets.

Senate E-12 Finance Committee Chairman LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Plummer, unrolled his public education funding bill today (Wednesday, April 1). The bill cuts education funding by about three percent.

She questions the Senate's tactic of seeking savings in cuts to per pupil funding — the bulk of the Senate's cuts comes in this form.

Heart and soul of education funding

"That's where the money goes directly to classrooms and students,” said Greiling. "It's the heart and soul of education funding,” she said of per pupil funding.

Senate Democrats argue the federal stimulus dollars will soften these cuts.

Still, Stumpf indicated that a "cliff” in education funding exists once the federal funding runs out.

Still, Greiling, who diagnosed the House K-12 funding shift as "terrible,” believes that having the Senate bringing no shift at all into budget negotiations could serve to soften any potential shifts.

Stumpf cautioned not to suppose that his committee's three percent education cut would be directly transferred onto school districts.

School districts receive federal funding not factored into the Senate budget proposal, he explained.

In its public education bill the Senate cuts Pawlenty's signature education reform initiative, Q Comp, by $56 million over the next two years — the governor looks to increasing the funding by $41 million.

But the Senate bill also provides grants to small school districts to help cover the cost of enrolling into Q Comp.

Rural districts left out

Stumpf has long argued rural school districts have been left out because they cannot afford the cost of Q Comp enrollment paperwork.

In another Q Comp item, the Senate bill contains a provision prohibiting the state from cancelling funding in the middle of the school year should a school district be found out of compliance with program.

Sen. Lisa Fobbe, DFL-Zimmerman, scrutinizes the bill during the morning committee session.

A number of Pawlenty education initiatives are found in the Senate bill.

Senate staff are still working on the details of the federal stimulus funding.

The Senate looks to use about $520 million in stimulus dollars in its education proposal.

The Senate E-12 Finance Committee is expected meet on Thursday, April 2 to consider bill amendments.

Pawlenty Director of Communications Brian McClung offered a short comment on the Senate education proposal.

"Under their amended plan the Senate DFL is still cutting K-12 education
and raising taxes.  It's a bad combination," said McClung.

(Photos by T.W. Budig, ECM Capitol Reporter)

< Prev		Next >