November ballot measure would increase funding for schools — but voters need to “Vote Yes” for the amendment to pass
SAINT PAUL — North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale Supt. Christine Tucci Osorio and Inver Grove Heights Board Member Liz Niemioja joined a group of bipartisan legislators, including Sen. Mary Kunesh (DFL-New Brighton) and Rep. Spencer Igo (R-Grand Rapids), along with students, educators, parents and others on Sept. 1 at the State Capitol, to officially launch the campaign urging Minnesotans to “Vote Yes” on the Permanent School Fund Constitutional amendment on Nov. 3.
Passage of the amendment would modernize the distribution formula from the Permanent School Fund that consists of proceeds of timber sales, mineral leases and investment returns from Minnesota’s estimated 2.5 million acres of public trust land. Under the current constitutional language, only interest and dividends can be distributed from the fund. In recent years, this has resulted in distributions of about 2.5 percent of the fund’s value, even as the fund has averaged 8 percent in annual investment returns over the last decade.
Under the proposed amendment to modernize the Constitutional language, all public schools would receive 4.5 percent of the fund’s value annually (about an additional $33 per student) based on a three-year rolling average of the fund while still preserving the principal.
Supt. Tucci Osorio spoke in support of the amendment but stressed that it does not reduce the importance of school referendums. Referendums continue to play an integral role in providing the resources our students need to be successful.
The push for the amendment follows recommendations from a 2024 task force commissioned by the Legislature that studied the Permanent School Fund. Voters will see this question on their ballot:
“Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to increase the funding going to all school districts from the permanent school fund, which is a fund that supports school districts without raising individual income or property taxes, effective July 1, 2027?”
Importantly, voters must vote “yes” on the amendment or it counts as a no vote. The Minnesota Constitution requires a majority of all people voting in the election to vote yes for a question to pass. Information about the ballot question is available using the links below:
- LINK: View the Press Conference
- AMSD WEBSITE: https://www.amsd.org/psf/
- MSBA Website and Toolkits: https://mnmsba.org/advocacy/permanent-school-fund/
- Minnesota Permanent School Fund Information Site
Resources and information to help advocate for the statewide effort are available using the links below.
