Association of Metropolitan School Districts Update
November 20, 2009
AMSD Legislative Session Preview
AMSD’s annual legislative session preview will be held on Friday, January 8 from 8 – 10 a.m. in the Grand Hall of the TIES Building. I am attaching a flyer with some of the details of the event. Please invite and encourage your local legislators to attend!
Race to the Top
The final regulations for the Race to the Top program have been released. Here is a link where you can access the application, a summary of the final regulations and a summary of the changes that were made from the original proposal:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html
Minnesota is in a category of states that could qualify for a grant between $60 – 175 million. The categories were developed by ranking every state according to its share of the national population of children ages 5 through 17. The MDE has scheduled a meeting of its stakeholder committee for December 3 to release a draft of the state application. I am attaching a copy of MDE’s RTTT summary with the updated timelines. We will continue to forward you information as it becomes available.
Subcommittee on a Balanced Budget
The Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy has established a Subcommittee on a Balanced Budget. The subcommittee has met a couple of times and will meet again on December 14. At the last meeting, committee members heard an update on the state’s cash flow situation from Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Tom Hanson. Subcommittee members also heard a presentation from legislative staff that provided some context to the projected state budget shortfall. Staff had been asked to prepare projections on the budget cuts that would be necessary under a variety of scenarios. Staff looked at scenarios that would begin to make reductions in FY 2011 and also at scenarios that didn’t make reductions until FY 2012. Here is a summary of the scenarios:
1. Assuming the current projected deficit in 12-13 of $4.431 billion, across the board cuts beginning in FY 11 and continuing through 12-13 would have to be 9.4% to balance;
2. Assuming the current projected deficit in 12-13 of $4.431 billion, across the board cuts would have to be 12.2% to balance if you wait until 2012-13;
3. Assuming a projected deficit of $7.25 billion, (this assumes GAMC funding is restored, inflation is included and the education accounting shifts are bought back) If across the board cuts begin in FY 11 and continue through 12-13, they would have to be 15.5% to balance the state budget;
4. Assuming a projected deficit of $7.25 billion, (this assumes GAMC funding is restored, inflation is included and the education accounting shifts are bought back) If across the board cuts don’t begin until FY 12, they would have to be20% to balance the state budget;
5. Assuming the current projected deficit in 12-13 of $4.31 billion, across the board cuts beginning in FY 11 and continuing through 12-13 would have to be 15.7% to balance IF K-12 were held harmless;
6. Assuming the current projected deficit in 12-13 of $4.31 billion, across the board cuts would have to be 20.3% to balance IF K-12 were held harmless and the cuts didn’t take effect until FY 2012-13.
Upcoming Legislative Hearings
TUESDAY, November 24,
2009
7:00
PM
Joint Committee: K-12
Integration Revenue Work Group
Room: Albert
Lea High
School Auditorium; 2000 Tiger
Lane
Chairs: Rep. Robin Brown, Rep.
Jerry Newton
Agenda:
Integration Revenue Program
TUESDAY, November 24,
2009
7:00
PM
Joint Committee: K-12
Integration Revenue Work Group
Room: Albert
Lea High
School Auditorium; 2000 Tiger
Lane
Chairs: Rep. Robin Brown, Rep.
Jerry Newton
Agenda:
Integration Revenue Program
THURSDAY, December 3,
2009
9:00
AM
Ways and Means
Room: 200
State
Office
Building
Chair: Rep.
Loren Solberg
Agenda: Presentation about the November
Forecast
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THURSDAY,
December 3, 2009
Monday, December 14,
2009 | ||||||||
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